London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1887
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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221
Inquiry having been made as to the proportion of bodies
admitted at the Mortuary on the request of friends, to those
brought in by the police, or removed on the order of the
Coroner, the subjoined statement was prepared with regard to
100 bodies consecutively deposited.
BODIES ADMITTED.
| 1. At the request of relatives of the deceased | 30 | |
| 2. At the request of Undertakers (bodies principally of parishioners removed from hospitals) | 18 | |
| 3. At the request of the Coroner (Inquest cases)— | ||
| Cases of sudden death | 15 | |
| Cases of violent death | 3 | |
| — | 18 | |
| 4. Brought in by the Police | Found dead | 19 |
| Accident cases | 7 | |
| Suicides | 5 | |
| — | 31 | |
| 5. Deaths due to infectious disease | 3 | |
| 100 | ||
In nearly one-half of the above cases post—mortem examinations
were made by authority.
CORONER'S COURT.
It is now generally the practice to provide a Court for the
Coroner in connection with the Mortuary, so as to obviate the
necessity of holding inquests at public-houses. This step seemed
to me unnecessary when plans for the Mortuary were under
consideration, there being rooms at the Yestry Hall suitable for
the purpose. Accordingly, the Works, Sanitary, and General
Purposes Committee authorized me to communicate with the
Churchwardens, who, as Trustees of the Yestry Hall, consented