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
Kensington 1912
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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During the year 238 bodies were deposited at the Mortuary under the following circumstances:—
| 1. At the request of the relatives of the deceased | 57 | ||
| 2. At the request of undertakers, mainly at the instance of the relieving officers | |||
| 3. At the request of the coroner (inquest cases):— | |||
| Cases of sudden death | 80 | ||
| Cases of violent death | 71 | ||
| 151 | |||
| 4. Brought in by the Police—Persons found dead | 9 | ||
| Accident cases | 9 | ||
| 5. On account of death due to infectious disease | 0 | ||
| Total number of bodies received | 238 | ||
In 107 of the above cases post-mortem examinations were made under the coroner's warrant
The number of bodies deposited in 1912 and the five preceding years, together with the
number of inquests held and the number of post-mortem examinations made in the Mortuary is
shown in the following Table:—
Number of Bodies taken into the Mortuary.
| Year. | No. of bodies received at the Mortuary. | No. of bodies upon which Coroner's inquests were held. | No. of bodies upon which post-mortem examinations were made. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | 274 | 194 | 112 | ||
| 1908 | 251 | 174 | 107 | ||
| 1909 | 263 | 181 | 110 | ||
| 1910 | 233 | 145 | 103 | ||
| 1911 | 261 | 177 | 118 | ||
Unnecessary inconvenience having been caused by numerous applications from undertakers
for the reception of bodies late at night, the period during which bodies will be received, except
in case of emergency, has been limited on the recommendation of the Cemetery and Open Spaces
Sub-Committee to the hours between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and undertakers have been notified to this
effect. During the year 40 bodies were deposited in the Chapel of Rest, Avondale Park. Seventynine
bodies were deposited in the previous year.
VACCINATION.
Through the courtesy of Mr. King, the vaccination officer, I am able to publish in the Appendix,
Table XI., the official returns respecting the vaccination of children whose births were registered
in 1911. Out of a total number of 3,039 infants born 283 were not vaccinated on account of
conscientious objection on” the part of the parents, and 136 remained unvaccinated through
removal to places unknown.” The total number of cases not finally accounted for or not vaccinated
through “conscientious objection” on the part of the parents thus amounted to 419 or to 14 Der
cent. of the births registered as compared with losses of less than 7 per cent, in each of the five
years 1904-1908.