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57
MORTUARY.
The Council's mortuary consists of a post-mortem room and an ante-room
for the medical practitioners, also two mortuary chambers, one kept for infectious
bodies and one for non-infectious bodies. These premises, owing to the war,
have been neglected in the matter of repair and paint, and it is now time they
were thoroughly renovated and repaired, as some of the wood-work is in a very
bad condition. A small additional roof, or a temporary building attached to
the mortuary, would be of great service for storing purposes, as, at the present
time, the mortuary shells and requisites are often in the way when many bodies
have to be accommodated.
Owing to the severe influenza epidemic, I visited the undertakers in the
district from time to time, with a view to ascertaining what burials they had in
hand. Difficulties did occur in many instances, as to when the interments
would take place, although the undertakers did their level best to cope with
the emergency, and where it was found difficult to expedite matters, every
facility was given them to deposit the bodies at the mortuary. A number of
houses were visited, and several bodies were found to be decomposing, some
coffined, and some uncoffined. Arrangements were made for speedy interment
or the bodies removed to the mortuary to await burial, and the rooms were
disinfected.
During the year 105 bodies were received into the mortuary, 65 inquests
were held, and 56 psot-mortems made. Twenty-two bodies were left on deposit
by undertakers to await burial, owing to insufficient accommodation at the
houses. Twenty-two were left after inquests to await burial for various
reasons. Nine were deposited by my order for speedy interment, and 4 were
deposited owing to the bodies being of an infectious nature.
DUST COLLECTION.
The dust collection is still carried out by contract, and during a portion
of the year the Contractor had to find his own shoot, and for a time deposited
the refuse in another district. However, this he had to discontinue, and
finding a difficulty in obtaining a shoot, the Council allowed him to deposit
the dust on the Sewage Farm. In December the dust was deposited in the pit
on the land belonging to the G.E.R. and adjoining Park Road, and although
I should much like to see this pit filled up, as the water lying in the bottom is
a favourable breeding ground for the mosquito, it is not a desirable spot on
which to shoot house refuse, being too near a Public Park.
I therefore trust the time is not far distant when a destructor will be in
evidence, or some other method adopted whereby we could do away with a
permanent dust shoot, as this refuse creates a happy hunting ground for rats.
There is much valuable material on a dust shoot which could be salved and
utilised. Screened house refuse, cinders and ashes will be a valuable commodity
to those engaged in the brick industry, and considerable quantities
of screened house refuse have, in the past, been brought into this district for
the purpose of brick-making.