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48
With regard to the violent, sudden and uncertified deaths,
6 appear to have occurred in which enquiry by a Coroner
and Jury was considered necessary. Of these, 2 were
suicides, 1 an accidental death by drowning, 1 (an infant
newly born) found dead in the water, and supposed to have
been wilfully murdered, and 2 others, who, from the
evidence adduced, were found to have died "natural
deaths'' from disease.
Uncertified deaths are perhaps a greater evil than uncertified
births. It is true that 2 deaths only (the causes
of which were registered up"n the mere statements of
unprofessional persons) took place in this Parish during the
past year ; but as no inquiries whatever were instituted as
to why medical aid had not I been resorted to, it cannot be
considered otherwise than most unsatisfactory that the
Local Registrars should be allowed by the Law to receive
information of the causes of death from other than Medical
sources. This practice not only defeats the purpose for
which the Registration Act was passed, but offers a great
premium for the commission of crime that is sad to reflect
upon.
The deaths amongst the Union poor during the past year
were in the proportion of 21 to 335 cases treated, which is
about 6 per cent. This, however, is a greater one than in
the previous year, when the proportion of deaths to cases
treated was 4 per cent. only. The absence of any record
of fatal cases of Fever in the Union Medical Relief books
throughout 1870, is a circumstance well worthy of being
noted. The greatest number of deaths amongst the Union
poor are found to have been due to Lung diseases (including
Phthisis), to which diseases more than one half of those
who died in the year are found to have succumbed ; the
proportion being 12 from Lung diseases to 9 from all other
causes. (Vide Table VI., Appendix.)