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the weekly returns of the local Registrars, with which our department
is now regularly supplied. These returns are of immense value
to us, not only for the purpose of computing statistics; but inasmuch
as they give us information of the locality of deaths from contagious
diseases, we are enabled to take measures for disinfecting and
cleansing the infected premises, and also to cause such sanitary
improvements to be carried out as shall, so far as is possible, prevent
the recurrence or spread of such disease.
The Statistical Tables appended are prepared according to the
recommendations of, and upon the forms compiled by, the Society of
Medical Officers of Health; they are very much more extensive and
complete than any that have, in previous years, been presented by
your Medical Officers.
The greatest care has been taken in the preparation of these
Tables to ensure accuracy. The statistics contained in Tables I., II.,
and V. in the Appendix are calculated upon the numbers of births and
deaths extracted from the Annual Printed Reports of the late Dr.
Sarvis, for the eight years, 1869 to 1877. Tables III. and IV. are,
as before observed, based upon the returns of the local Registrars,
each entry in which, excepting inquest cases and a few others, is a
copy of the certificate of the medical practitioner last in attendance
upon the deceased person. He is, of course, responsible for the
accuracy of his certificate: the Act of Parliament requires the cause of
death to be stated to the best of the practitioner's belief and knowledge,
and imposes a penalty of forty shillings in case of his refusal
to deliver such certificate to any person qualified to demand the
same. Now, this duty is performed by the medical profession
without fee or reward, and in almost every instance the certificates
supply the desired information in a sufficiently well defined manner
for statistical purposes; it is, however, to be regretted that a practitioner
in this neighbourhood occasionally returns the cause of
death as "a complication of diseases," and another gentleman
sometimes certifies "chest disease," since in compiling Statistical
Tables it is utterly impossible to properly classify such assigned
causes of death under their proper headings.
As the provisions of the Births' and Deaths' Registration Act are of
considerable interest, I subjoin a resumé of the law upon the subject,
so far as it refers to the registration of the cause of death.