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
Battersea 1926
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1926
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77
Coroner's Court and Mortuary.
Details as to the number of inquests held at the Coroner's Court, and bodies received into the Mortuary during 1926 are set out in the following table:—
| Usual Place of Residence. | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battersea. | Wands -worth | Elsewhere. | Residenceunknown | ||
| Inquest at Coroner's Court; postmortem at Mortuary | 120 | 69 | 11 | 2 | 202 |
| Inquest at Coroner s Court; postmortem elsewhere | 35 | 47 | 10 | _ | 92 |
| Inquest at Coroner's Court; no postmortem | 15 | 16 | 7 | — | 38 |
| Total inquests held at Battersea Coroner's Court | 170 | 132 | 28 | 2 | 332 |
| Post-mortems without inquest,Battersea Mortuary | 9 | 1 | 1 | — | 11 |
| Total post-mortems held at Battersea Mortuary | 129 | 70 | 12 | 2 | 213 |
| Bodies received for sanitary reasons | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
| Other bodies received at Mortuary on which no inquest held | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Total bodies received | 184 | 135 | 30 | 3 | 352 |
| VERDICTS AT INQUESTS HELD— | |||||
| Natural causes | 90 | 60 | 5 | — | 155 |
| Accidental Death— | |||||
| Asphyxia | 3 | 2 | — | — | 5 |
| Burns and scalds | 3 | 7 | 1 | — | 11 |
| Deaths under anaesthetic | — | 1 | 2 | — | 3 |
| Drowning | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 |
| Fall | 17 | 14 | 8 | — | 39 |
| Food poisoning | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Railway and street accidents | 24 | 19 | 7 | — | 50 |
| Septicaemia following injury | — | 3 | — | — | 3 |
| Tetanus following injury | 4 | — | — | — | 4 |
| Other accidents | — | 3 | — | — | 3 |
| Open Verdict— | |||||
| Found drowned | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Stillborn | 6 | — | — | 1 | 7 |
| Want of attention at birth | 1 | __ | _ | 1 | 2 |
| Suicide— | |||||
| Cut throat | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| Drowning | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Firearms | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Hanging | 7 | 2 | — | — | 9 |
| Jump from high place | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Poisoning—Coal gas | 7 | 8 | — | — | 15 |
| „ Drugs, etc. | 3 | 8 | 1 | — | 12 |
| Homicide. | |||||
| Blow (manslaughter 1, murder 1) | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
| Abortion | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| Infanticide | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grand Total | 170 | 132 | 28 | 2 | 332 |