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176
MORTUARIES AND CORONERS' COURTS.
The total number of bodies received at the two Borough Mortuaries
(High Street and Wanless Road) during 1902 was 413,
as compared with 485 during 1901, and an annual average for
the old Parish of Lambeth for 5 years (1896-1900) of 450. Of
the 443 bodies, 328 were received at High Street and 115 at
Wanless Road.
57 bodies were brought in by the Police (48 to High Street and
9 to Wanless Road), and the rest by undertakers or private persons.
The Coroner's Court sat 52 times at Wanless Road, 130 times
at High Street.
Wanless Road Mortuary alone is provided with a separate
room for bodies dead from infectious disease, and during 1902
3 infectious bodies were received there, viz., 2 bodies (both
female) dead of Smallpox, and 1 (female) dead of Diphtheria.
For comparison, details are given in tabular form of the work
carried out by the late Vestry of Lambeth in connection with the
Wanless Road and High Street Mortuaries during the five years
(1896-1900). Taking an average, it will be seen that the total
number of bodies received during 1902 in connection with the
Borough is 7 less than the yearly average (450) received by the
late Vestry during the preceding 5 years.
The number of post-mortems conducted for the Borough during
1902 is 237, as compared with 253, 281, 275, 285 and 267
respectively during the 5 years (1896-1900) for the old Parish,
i.e., 23.5 less than the yearly average (272.5) during the same
quinquennium. Of the post-mortems, 48 took place at Wanless
Road, and 189 at High Street.
Unfortunately, the High Street Mortuary is not separately provided,
as it might be, with such separate accommodation for infectious
bodies, so that bodies from the Inner Wards have at present
to be taken to Wanless Road, Loughborough. Norwood and