London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Battersea 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
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 1951, are set out in the following table :— Battersea Mortuary, 1951
| Details of Bodies received | Usual place of residence | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battersea | Wandsworth | Elsewhere | Residence unknown | ||
| Post-mortem only... | 165 | 321 | 93 | 9 | 588 |
| Post-mortem and inquest | 28 | 94 | 41 | 12 | 175 |
| Total post-mortems | 193 | 415 | 134 | 21 | 763 |
| Inquest only | – | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Total inquests | 28 | 95 | 41 | 12 | 176 |
| Sanitary and other reasons ... | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| Total bodies received | 194 | 416 | 134 | 21 | 765 |
| VERDICTS AT INQUESTS HELD | |||||
| Natural causes | – | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Accident and misadventure | 20 | 68 | 31 | 4 | 123 |
| Open verdict | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Suicide:— | |||||
| Balance of mind disturbed | 7 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 35 |
| Felonia de se ... | 7 | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Alcoholism | – | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
| Inattention at birth | – | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| Still birth | – | 1 | – | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 28 | 95 | 41 | 12 | 176 |
The Wandsworth Borough Council again made a grant of £250
towards the cost of maintaining the Mortuary.
The London County Council pay a rent for the use of the
Coroner's Court. For a number of years this has been £275 per
annum, but after considerable negotiations they agreed to increase
it to £450 per annum as from 1st April, 1950. Subsequently, in
August, 1951, the London County Council gave notice to terminate
their tenancy of the Court on 31st March, 1952.