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Fractures and Contusions, 18; Burns and Scalds, 9; Poison, 2;
Drowning, 3; Suffocation (generally of infants "overlaid ") 15,
including 12 under one year ; "Otherwise,"4.
Order 3.* Homicide.—"Murder and Manslaughter," 3.
These sad figures might have been swelled by the addition of six
deaths, from burning or suffocation, of persons who met with their
death in a house at Portobello Road, which was wilfully set on fire
by the occupier, for the sake of a paltry sum of money which he
hoped to secure under a policy of insurance. The cause of these
deaths was returned by the Coroner simply under the heading,
"Wilful Murder," but the actual cause of death was as above
mentioned, burning or suffocation. The "murderer" after being
condemned to die, had his sentence commuted into penal servitude
for life.
Order 4. Suicide.—Of the 13 suicidal deaths, including 3 in
Brompton, Poison was the lethal agent in two only; Wounds, 5;
Hanging, 4 ; Drowning, 1 ; " Otherwise," 1.
Nine deaths, including 3 under five years of age, of which two
only were registered in the Brompton sub-district, have to be
classified to " causes not specified or ill-defined," not necessarily
that the causes were not specified, or that they were ill-defined,
for, in some cases the specified causes of death were well defined,
but no place could be found for them in the above classification.
DEATHS IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
The "large public institutions" in which we are locally interested
are the Parish Infirmary and Workhouse in the Town subdistrict,
and the Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the
Chest, in the Brompton sub-district. There are numerous minor
public or qwasi-public institutions, but, with one exception, they
do not furnish occasion for notice. The excepted institution is
* Order 2, comprising violent deaths in battle is omitted as inapplicable to the
civil population.