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
City of Westminster 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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39
Where persons without known relatives die in the City, it is frequently
necessary not only to arrange for their burial, but to dispose ot the
contents of their homes. This is done in consultation with the Treasury
Solicitor. Such action is necessary to enable the proceeds to be applied
towards the cost of burial and also to avoid rent accruing and to release
the accommodation for housing purposes as early as possible.
During the year 41 burials were undertaken by the City Council in its cemetery at Hanwell, the requests for such burials being received from the following sources :—
| H.M. Coroner's Officer | 23 |
| Relatives of the deceased | 9 |
| Friends of the deceased | — |
| Hospitals in the City | 9 |
| 41 |
Coroner's Court and Mortuary. During 1955, 332 bodies were received in the Mortuary on Coroner's Warrants, etc. Seven bodies were admitted to await burial.
| Number of Cases. | |
|---|---|
| Inquest cases | 111 |
| Non-inquest cases | 221 |
| Post mortem examinations held | 253 |
| Causes of death in the foregoing were as under :— | |
| Accidental drowning | 1 |
| Found drowned | 10 |
| Suicide by drowning | 2 |
| „ by other means | 26 |
| Accidents— | |
| Street | 21 |
| Domestic | 11 |
| Others | 14 |
| Natural causes | 227 |
| Misadventure | 10 |
| Murder | — |
| Miscellaneous cases | 10 |