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5
years. It appears that in many of these cases a medical
certificate might be obtained from the doctor who has attended
the patient, but owing to the death having been sudden, or the
doctor not having seen the patient recently, the matter is
referred to the Coroner. That the case should be so referred
to the Coroner is no doubt most desirable, but it seems to me
it would be better for the sake of getting accurate registration
of the causes of death, if, when the Coroner decides not to
hold an inquest, he were to leave it to the medical man to give
a certificate.
I have heard nothing more of the very desirable proposal
of the County Council to appoint medical investigators to
assist the Coroners in their duties.
Inquests.
9. There were 43 inquests held compared with 43 and 35
in the two preceding years; 11 were in West Plumstead, and
32 in East; 30 were from accident or violence, 13 from
'natural causes.' There was no verdict of murder, but in a
case of suffocation of an illegitimate child the Coroner stated
the circumstances to be very suspicious. There were 4 suicides,
1 by cutting the throat, 1 by throwing himself under a train,
1 by taking carbolic acid, and 1 by taking oxalic acid. A seafaring
man died of starvation in Bostal Woods. A tramp was
suffocated by carbon-monoxide while sleeping in a brick field.
Two children were scalded in hot baths, and a third by pulling
the kettle over. One case of taking an overdose of an opium
sleeping draught. One fell from a cart. One man, a labourer,
died of a surfeit of apples. One fell from a railway bridge, the
death being in this case due to delirium tremens. A woman
of 87 died from a scalp wound caused by falling downstairs.
A woman of 52 burnt by a paraffin lamp upset. A man run