London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Battersea 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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55
National Smoke Abatement Socy.
Cheltenham. 29th September
to 1st October.
Public Health and Municipal'
Engineering Annual Congress
and Exhibition. London. 15th
to 20th November.
National Old People's Welfare
Committee — " Care of Old
People." London. 26th and
27th November.
Ald. A. P. Holden and the
Medical Officer of Health.
Ald. A. P. Holden and Cllr.
Mrs. A. R. Wye.
Cllr. A. H. Humphrey and
Mrs. E. Stone.
Coroner's Court and Mortuary.
Details as to the number of inquests held at the Coroner's Court,
and bodies received into the Mortuary during 1948 are set out in
the following table :—
| Details of Bodies received | Usual place of residence | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batter- sea | Wandsworth | Else-where | Residence unknown | ||
| Post-mortem only. | 111 | 251 | 95 | 5 | 462 |
| Post-mortem and inquest | 42 | 137 | 107 | 7 | 293 |
| 153 | 388 | 202 | 12 | 755 | |
| Inquest only | — | — | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 42 | 137 | 110 | 9 | 298 | |
| Sanitary and other reasons | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| Total bodies received | 153 | 388 | 205 | 16 | 762 |
| VERDICTS AT INQUESTS HELD | |||||
| Natural causes | 11 | 32 | 46 | 4 | 93 |
| Accident and misadventure | 23 | 67 | 54 | 2 | 146 |
| Open verdict | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Suicide | 7 | 36 | 7 | 1 | 51 |
| Homicide | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 |
| Total | 42 | 137 | 110 | 298 | |
The Wandsworth Borough Council again made a grant of £250
towards the cost of maintaining the Mortuary.