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Violent Deaths.— Of the 26 deaths due to accident, nine were
cases of suffocation—eight infants and one adult; the cause of
the accident in the case of the adult being an escape of gas. Three
persons were run over by a railway train, wagon, &c.; two were
killed by being thrown from a vehicle. In eight cases the fatal
accident was caused by a "fall." Crushed by machinery, kicked
by a horse, poisoned, scalded—to these causes four deaths were ascribed,
one to each. The deaths by suicide—the act being generally
attributed to unsoundness of mind—were 8, viz., by hanging,
pistol shot, cut throat, run over by train, one each; poison 4, viz.,
by carbolic acid, prussic acid, laudanum, and belladonna); "wilful
murder" (without further explanation) was the verdict in two
instances of newly born children found dead in public places.
The verdict of "manslaughter" (the death being due to small
pox), simply expressed the view entertained by the jury of
the conduct of the person in charge of the deceased child in not
obtaining medical assistance. This case was referred to in my last
report at p. 29. The annual rate of mortality per 1,000 living at
all ages, from violence, (47 deaths being returned by the RegistrarGeneral,)
was 0.31 in Kensington, and 0 76 in all London.
With respect to the numerous deaths due to diseases, and
which formed the subject of enquiry in the Coroner's Court, I
still hold to the view expressed in former reports, viz.,
that although in a good many cases the death may have been truly
described as "sudden," yet in a large number of so-called " sudden
deaths," or when the deceased is described as having been
"found dead" or "found dead in bed," death was the result of