On the office and duties of coroner : with suggestions for parliamentary inquiry, proposed legislation, and reform of the office / by William Hardwicke.

  • Hardwicke, William.
Date:
[1879]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the office and duties of coroner : with suggestions for parliamentary inquiry, proposed legislation, and reform of the office / by William Hardwicke. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    32/74 (page 12)
    Pan eras and Whitechapel Workhouses than in any others of the metropolis, the per centage of inquests being in these cases 16’2, and 11 per cent, respectively; whilst in Marylebbne it was only 8 in 508, or rather less than 1 per cent. ; in Paddington, 4 in 164, or less than 2^ per cent.; in Kensington, 1 in 21, or less than 5 per cent. In 12 other parishes they were only 2^ per cent, of the total deaths. In some of these parishes, either the Inquests held were too few, or in others too many, or the per centage could not have shown so surprising a difference. In only some of the Workhouses are notices given to the Coroner of unexpected or sudden deaths, or deaths occurring shortly after admission. Cases occur where death has been accelerated by improper mode of removal, others escape notice, where there are marks of violence or injury under circumstances of suspicion. Under all conditions full particulars of the mode of death should be sent to the Coroner of the district, and his authority should sanction the formal certificate and registration, either with or without due enquiry into the case. A form, which I suggest should be filled up, ought to contain the following particulars. Age, oc- cupation, how long admitted, how brought in, if in- sensible when so brought in, what friends (if any) are known, nature of illness, date of death, if visited by friends, and if suffering from any injury, or from cold, destitution, or exposure.