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33
List of bedding, etc., destroyed in the Incinerator during the year: -
Beds - - - - 23
Mattresses - - - - 78
Palliasses - - - - 12
Bolsters - - - 3
Sheets - - - - 7
Quilts - - - - 2
Blankets - - - 7
Pillows - - - - 7
Cushions - - - - 2
Sundries - 206
The Mortuary and Coroner's Court.
The number of bodies deposited in the mortuary during the year was 679.
Of these, 609 were removed by order of the Coroner, 48 by the Police, 6 by
Relieving Officers, 5 at the request of friends of the deceased, and 11 on my
instructions. Nine of the latter had died from Infectious Diseases, and were
placed in the Infectious mortuary.
652 inquests were held in the Coroner's Court, and 87 post-mortem
examinations were made.
Unsound Food.
The quantity of unsound food destroyed during the year was only a
little over a third of that destroyed in the previous year. Most of it was
surrendered at the various wharves.
In former years the greater part was destroyed by a contractor living out of
the district. It was suggested at one of the meetings of the Public Health
Committee that it might be possible for some of the unsound food to be taken
elsewhere than to the place to be destroyed, and find its way back again to be
offered for sale for human food. Personally, I do not think that this is possible.
In order to allay any suspicion of this, I submitted the following plan to the
Committee, which was adopted. These rules are rigidly applied to all unsound
food that is surrendered or seized in our district:—
1. Whenever unsound food is to be removed to the Council's premises for
destruction, the Wharf Inspector will notify the Borough Engineer of the fact.
c