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1922
7
Certified Causes of Death.—From Table 1 it will be seen that
there were no uncertified causes of death. One hundred per cent.
of the deaths were certified by a doctor and on 45 persons an inquest
was held.
The laws of this country make it illegal for a person to be
buried unless an order for burial can be produced either from the
registrar of deaths or from a coroner. The registrar gives the
order on receiving a certificate as to the cause of death from a
registered medical practitioner. If such certificate is not forthcoming,
he may, on his own responsibility register the death as
uncertified and give the order for burial, or he may report the
circumstances to the coroner, who either sends a notification to
the registrar that the death may be registered and the burial
order given, or he may hold an inquiry as to the cause of death,
summoning a jury to assist him.
Forty-five inquests were held here during the year, and more
than half the deaths on which an inquest was held were due to
natural causes.
Although the select and departmental committees have
reported on Death Registration and Certification, nothing has
been done to amend the law or the procedure.
In 1909 a departmental committee reported that the present
law of death certification offered every opportunity for premature
burial and every facility for the concealment of crime, yet no
steps have yet been taken to remedy this unsatisfactory state of
affairs.
The procedure of a coroner's court has been described with
some truth as mediaeval and as producing waste and undue publicity
of the affairs of a family at a time of considerable distress.
The Bill now before Parliament entitled "Coroners' Law
and Death Certification Amendment," is not regarded as a solution
of the problem, but it may prepare the ground for further action
in the future.
Amount of Poor Law Relief.—I am indebted to Mr. Harmsworth
the Clerk to the Guardians, for the figures relating to Poor Law
Relief.
The amount of out-door relief given by the Guardians for
the Parish of Acton was:
£ s. d.
Ordinary Relief 5,833 10 3½
Unemployment Relief 11,729 17 11
Total £17,563 8 2½