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
Greenwich 1905
The annual report made to the Council of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich for the year 1905
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MORTUARY. The number of bodies dealt with in St. Alphege Mortuary since 1896, is shewn below:—
| Year. | Drowned bodies from River. | Other bodies. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 11 | 33 | 44 |
| 1897 | 11 | 47 | 58 |
| 1898 | 15 | 32 | 47 |
| 1899 | 17 | 45 | 62 |
| 1900 | 7 | 66 | 73 |
| 1901 | 13 | 126 | 139 |
| 1902 | 13 | 95 | 108 |
| 1903 | 20 | 118 | 138 |
| 1904 | 15 | 155 | 170 |
| 1905 | 10 | 137 | 147 |
During the year ended 31st December, 1904, which is the
most recent year for which these returns from the London
County Council are available, the Coroner for the South-Eastern
District of London held 177 Inquests in Greenwich, 155 of these
being at the Coroner's Court, adjoining the Mortuary, and 22 at
other public places. The death of the person whose body formed
the subject of the enquiry occurred in a Hospital in 25 cases, in
a private house in 86 cases, in other places 66 cases, and it was
found necessary to have a post-mortem examination made in 90
cases, but this number does not include post-mortem examinations
made at Hospitals.
During the year the Council have adopted a series of By-laws
and Regulations with respect to the Management of the Mortuary.
These By-laws were duly allowed by the Local Government
Board on the 7 th March, 1905.
The question of the duties of Mortuary Keeper has been
considered from time to time, but it was thought that it was
undesirable at the present time to specifically lay down any list of
duties for the present Mortuary Keeper.