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50
death certification. Certain suggestions were made by this Commission
to remedy the present state of things, but nothing has yet
been done. The objections to the above practices are obvious.
1st.—It is dangerous or injurious to the health of persons in the
houses for dead bodies to be stored therein.
2nd.—There is a lack of decency and respect shown to the dead
in the practice mentioned.
Another objectional practice is that connected with the disposal of
what are known as still-births. Here again the undertakers come to
the help of those who desire to dispose of undesirable births. It is
usual for the undertakers to receive the still-births and at a convenient
time deposit them in graves when an opportunity serves.
This is really more serious than the former practice for it opens the
way to crime. It is only necessary for the body of a child to be
called a still-birth to stop all enquiries as to the cause of death, and
the undertaker will do the rest.
To remedy the above state of things, it is necessary (1) that the
aw should be amended requiring that all dead bodies, which cannot be
safely and decently retained in an unoccupied room, should be taken
to the public mortuary, and there kept until the burial takes place.
2) "That all still-births, which have reached the stage of develop
ment of seven months, should be registered upon the certificate of a
registered medical practitioner, and that it should not be permitted to
bury or otherwise dispose of the still-birth until an order for burial
has been issued by the registrar."
This latter is a recommendation of the Royal Commission of Death
Certification of 1893.
I am of opinion the registration of still-births should not be confined
to those of seven months' development or more. I think it
would be better to fix six months' development or more as a registration
age: but unless every still-birth is examined by a properly
qualified practitioner it would still be possible for many still-births to
escape registration.