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74
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 held: 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
than one occasion, and some years ago the Society passed
a resolution to the effect:—
"That all cases of uncertified deaths should be repotted by the local registrar
of births and deaths to the Coroner, who should, when there is no prima
facie ground for holding an inquest, direct such cases to be investigated by
a registered medical practitioner."
It had been suggested that the duty of making the proposed
investigation should devolve on the Medical Officer of
Health as a part of his ordinary work, but the Society did
not approve this view.
Of all the unsatisfactory arrangements connected with
uncertified deaths, it was felt that the least defensible is that
which makes the Coroner's Officer de facto judge, in a doubtful
case, whether an inquest should be held, and the Society,
at my instance, adopted the following resolution on the
subject:—
"That the present system of investigation of deaths referred to a Coroner,
viz., by an officer having no special qualifications for the discharge of the
duty, is unsatisfactory."
It follows, as a corollary to this proposition, that the
preliminary enquiry should be made by an expert.
* The per-centage of uncertified deaths to total deaths in 1892, was 4.5 in
Halifax, 4.7 in Liverpool, and 5.3 in Birmingham. Halifax and Liverpool -had
also shown excessive proportions in each of the preceding five years.