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46
Burial
Under Section 50 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, the Council
can arrange for the burial or cremation of any person who has died or has
been found dead in their area if no other suitable arrangements are being
made. The Council arranged with the local undertaker to carry out these
burials. In no year has it been necessary to make these arrangements for
many. It can be expected that the number will diminish rather than
increase. There were only three this last year.
Mortuary
The district is served by the one mortuary at Peel Road which is
under the care of a full-time mortuary attendant, Mr. C. Russell, of 30
Lome Road, Wealdstone, telephone number Harrow 3871.
Advantage was taken of the decision to erect a new disinfecting
station to replace the one at the Stanmore Honeypot Lane Isolation
Hospital near to the mortuary to improve the facilities there. Work was
completed just before the end of the year. The main change has been that
the viewing room has been transferred so that it now joins the main room,
and adequate waiting accommodation for visitors has been provided. For
some weeks while certain work was being done the mortuary could not be
used, bodies for this period being admitted to the Wembley mortuary.
During the year, 216 bodies were admitted; post mortem examinations
were carried out on 214, and inquests were held on 26. In addition,
57 bodies were admitted to the Wembley mortuary during the time that
the work was being done on the Harrow mortuary.