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railway line, one each. Two of the deaths, one by inhalation of
chloroform (suffocation resulting) and one by "overdose of
morphia," not being returned as suicidal, are classified as
accidental. A man aged forty, and a woman aged thirty-eight,
died from rupture of a blood vessel in the leg, having been
ignorant of the means of staunching the bleeding by pressure.
The Homicidal Deaths registered were 2, viz.:— Of a man
aged thirty-five, "manslaughter," cause of death not stated;
and a woman, aged twenty-six, upon whom criminal abortion
had been practised by a "herbalist" now undergoing penal
servitude.
Among the deaths described as "sudden," or where the
person was "found dead," etc., there were, as usual, many due
to curable visceral diseases; and there must have been culpable
neglect of the deceased, in that medical attendance had not
been procured, although the illnesses probably extended over
many days, and could scarcely fail to be marked by obvious
symptoms of a more or less serious and painful nature. The
mere finding of the "cause of death," in such cases, seems
scarcely to satisfy the requirements of justice; considering
that the death of any person—and particularly of one very
young or very aged —from such diseases as pneumonia,
bronchitis, &c., when there has been no medical attendance,
raises a presumption of neglect which would justify a verdict
of "manslaughter," equally as in the case of the "peculiar
people," who, whilst treating their sick with care, in other
respects, refuse, on mistaken "conscientious" grounds, to
employ medical assistance, and who, as a consequence of such
refusal, death having ensued, have, on several occasions, been
found guilty of manslaughter.
The inquest cases in Kensington were in the proportion of
6.8 per cent, of the total deaths: the rate in the Metropolis
was 7'6 per cent.; in England and Wales 5.6 per cent.