View report page

56
quisition is now made, inquiry by an expert— e.g., a Medical
Officer of Health—would save the time of Coroner and jury,
and some expense to the rates, if his decision that inquest was
unnecessary were accepted. In these circumstances, the
Medical Officer would become piactically, "Coroner's Officer,"
as the St. James's Vestry propose. If suitably remunerated
for his task, he might reasonably be authorized to inquire, in
the first instance, into the causes of uncertified deaths; and to
certify in proper cases, referring those from violence, or otherwise
involving suspicion of foul play, to the Coroner. Any
such change would require legislation to give it effect; but it
may be doubted whether the legislature would entrust to any
individual, powers of such an exceptional nature. In the
case of deaths registered as "not certified," after reference to
the Coroner, it cannot be doubted that inquiry and report by
a Medical Officer of Health would be more satisfactory than
that by a Coroner's Officer. Presumably, the deaths "not
certified' in lone and mountainous districts, are not even
referred to a Coroner. In some of the manufacturing towns
there is much so-called "medical" practice by unregistered
persons, upon whose information, probably, many deaths are
registered:* registration being required by law, which
medical certification is not—excepting in the case of patients
who have been duly attended in their last illness by a registered
practitioner. I am of opinion that when death ensues
in the case of persons attended by unregistered practitioners,
an inquiry should be made: the dread of inquisition would
tend to limit irregular "medical" practice, which, as a very
general rule, must be to the public detriment.
The subject of uncertified deaths has engaged the attention
of the Society of Medical Officers of Health on more
* The percentage of uncertified deaths to total deaths in 1891 was 3.3 in
Brighton, 3.1 in Salford, 4.1 in Huddersfield, 4.4 in Sheffield and Hull, 5T in
Halifax, and 5.2 in Liverpool.