THE CITY MORGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 135, 8 June 1911, Page 2

THE CITY MORGUE.

. A.DANGEB" ANT)'. -.-DISGRACE. DEN~U~N T Cl__TOi~~' JE*-". DOCTORS. In. the course of • an. inquest held t_Limc—ling, Dr. de dive made some scathing remarks upon. the. condition, of. the city morgue. He said, —hat it wasa howling • disgrace - that _■ city of the pretensions" of" Auckland should- have such a filthy place for the-purpose. Not only was. it in. a filthy state, but. it" wa_. badly conducted. That morning he hatbeen under, the necessity- of working, in a pool of' water, and while he was at work a squall of rain beat in, making' matters worse. No. antiseptics were: used, the slabs were hopelessly obsolete, and there were no means whereby a doctor could sterilise either his hands or his instruments; neither were there any sponges or specimen jars, provide—. The doctors, of Auckland' badly neededsome place wherA they could do such work in reasonable comfort. There were, occasions when the law compelled.a doc-, tor- to use the. morgue, and it was mor_

strously unfair that they should fee com. pelled to risk infection' through its insanitary state, and then visit confinement and other cases, where the- danger of septic poisoning- was very great. The City Fathers should be urged at once to erect a proper building as soon as possible. The Coroner ("Mr. T. Gresham) said' that three years ago the ratepayers bad authorised the City Council to erect a morgue at a cost of £1000, and also to construct the Graiton Bridge. The bridge was complete, but the. morgue had not even been commenced. The.inadequacy of the present arrangements had been a scandal for years. Dr. Ferguson, who had assisted Dr. Lowe, said that even if they could, not get a new-building at once, a few necessaries such as towels and £?wns should be provided. The drainage of the floor was hopelessly bad, and even a few planks laid" down would be a blessing, as they wo\ld at least keep the doctors' feet out ci the water lying there, which was often badly contaminated before they finished. Only four dirty- towels were provided, and everything combined to make it a matter of grave- risk foradector to visit his' patients after working at the morgue. Mr. Gresham said that he was much pleased at what the doctors had. said. It. would, perhaps, ventilate a, longstanding grievance.