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
Hackney 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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32
MORTUARY.
Number of bodies deposited in the mortuary 322
(a) Infectious —
1. To await inquests—
(b) Non-Infectious 89
2. To await burial 56
3. Result of death certified by Coroner 177
Number of post mortem examinations made 231
| Verdict. | Sex. | |
|---|---|---|
| Male. | Female. | |
| Natural Causes | 12 | 2 |
| Accidental Death | 16 | 10 |
| Suicide | 20 | 10 |
| Murder | — | 1 |
| Open Verdict | 1 | 2 |
| Misadventure | 3 | 10 |
| Adjourned, or Inquest held elsewhere | 1 | 1 |
| Totals | 53 | 36 |
| Nature of Suicide. | No. | Nature of Accidental Death. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas Poisoning | 11 | Street Accidents | 11 |
| Drowning | 9 | Shock from Fall | 10 |
| Poisoning | 5 | Poisoning | 1 |
| Run down by Trains | 2 | Asphyxia | 1 |
| Hanging | 1 | Others | 3 |
| Asphyxia | 1 | ||
| Cut Throat | 1 | ||
| 30 | |||
| 26 |
CREMATION.
Information is not available as to the use that is made by
residents of this Borough for the disposal of the dead by means of
cremation.
The advantages of cremation as compared with burial from
the point of view of hygiene are generally admitted, but it occurs
to me that the public are not fully aware of the facilities available
in this respect, and are possibly under the impression that it is a
far more costly method than actually is the case.