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98
On more than one occasion during the year, complaint was made of improper detention at
the homes of the poor of the bodies of deceased relatives, on the supposition that the Council
possesses arbitrary power to remove bodies to the public mortuary in suitable cases. What the
law enables the Council to do is set out in the 89th section of the Public Health (London) Act,
1891, which provides that—
"When either—
(a) The body of a person who has died of any infectious disease is retained in a room
in which persons live or sleep ; or
(b) The body of a person who has died of any dangerous infectious disease is retained
without the sanction of the medical officer of health, or any legally qualified medical
practitioner for more than forty-eight hours, elsewhere than in a room not used at the
time as a dwelling place, sleeping place, or work-room ; or
(c) Any dead body is retained in any house or room so as to endanger the health of the
inmates thereof, or of any adjoining or neighbouring house or building ;
a justice may, on a certificate signed by a medical officer of health, or other legally qualified
medical practitioner, direct that the body be removed, at the cost of the sanitary authority,
to any available mortuary, and be buried within the time limited by the justice, etc."
The great number of cases of improper deposit of dead bodies in living-rooms occurred in
connection with the removal from the infirmary mortuary of deceased patients for private
burial: there were 231 such removals during the year. But until recently the Council's officers
were without information, and so were unable to exercise influence to effect the transfer of
bodies to the public mortuary, however sanitarily unsuitable the place of temporary depositoccasionally
a single-room tenement—might be. In one case a dead body was detained unduly
in the single room occupied by a family, but only pending the visit of the coroner's officer.
The case being one for inquest, the body was in charge of the coroner, by whom alone the necessary
order for its removal to the mortuary could be made—a fact unknown to those who thought
a course should have been taken which would have brought the Public Health Department
into conflict with the coroner. The North Kensington Ratepayers' Association thought fit to
communicate in regard to this case with the Guardians and the County Council. The opinion
of the solicitor to the latter body was in harmony with my own; viz.: "That the coroner is the
official in charge of a dead body (in the circumstances set out), and no one but he can order the
removal of the body to the mortuary." Latterly, the Guardians have given instructions to the
steward of the infirmary to report to me all necessary particulars when a dead body is removed
from the mortuary at that establishment for private burial by the friends of the deceased.
CORONER'S COURT.
The coroner's court in the Town Hall, completed and brought into use in 1899, affords
necessary accommodation for all parties concerned in the holding of inquests. For the use of
the court the County Council pay an agreed rent under an arrangement authorised by section
92 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
DISINFECTION.
The Public Health (London) Act, 1891, imposed additional duties on the sanitary authority
in the matter of disinfection,* the practical effect of the legislation of late years having been
to throw upon the rates the cost of disinfecting houses, disinfecting and cleansing of bedding,
clothing, &c. The cost of this work has largely increased since the Act came into operation
in 1892: the amount expended in 1901 was £869, compared with £381 in 1891. In the latter
year the weight of the articles disinfected was under 20 tons, their number being about 9,400
only; whereas in 1901, 24,050 articles were dealt with, of an aggregate weight of 45 tons 6 cwts.
Nine hundred and eleven rooms, in 805 houses, were disinfected after infectious disease, compared
with 364 in 1891. The expenditure on disinfection, including cleansing of clothing, bedding,
&c., varies from year to year, with the prevalence of infectious disease. Yery few disinfections
are now done at the cost of the occupiers of the houses, or the owners of clothing, bedding, &c.
I append a statement of the monthly cost of this work in 1901, which is irrespective of the wages
of the disinfector.
January £69 6 10
February 44 19 4
March 51 4 11
April 41 19 7
May 64 13 11
June 50 3 10
July 98 5 7
August 91 3 10
September 96 14 9
October 80 18 7
November 94 0 7
December 85 4 11
*In the report for 1893 (pp. 215-217), under the heading "Duties of the Sanitary Authority with respect to Disinfection,"
I explained the staie of the law, and described the late Vestry's practice in regard to the matter.