CORONERS AND POST MORTEMS.

Evening Star, Volume 12869, Issue 12869, 19 July 1906, Page 8

CORONERS AND POST MORTEMS.

In reference to the proposal by Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M. and coroner at Christchurch, on the subject of post-mortem examinations in case of sudden death, the Auckland 'Star' has obtained from the Auckland city coroner his views on the subject. To hold universal post-mortems, Mr Gresham pointed out, an army of medical practitioners would be required, and he considers the proposal impracticable. In other respects he entirely concurs with what Mr Bishop has said on the subject, as set forth in the Christchurch ' Press.' With refetence to the question raised by the editor of the Dunedin ' Star,' who ba£ been urging the necessity of post-mortem examinations in all cases of sudden death as a safeguard against secret crime (such as poisoning), Mr Gresham informs us that the Dunedin coroner and S.M., Mr C. 0. Graham, wrote to him in February last asking for information as to the practice pursued by the Auckland city coroner. Mr Gresham, in his reply to Mr Graham, dated 12th March, wrote, inter alia: "As a coroner for over twenty-seven years, my invariable custom has been, in cases of sudden where no medical practitioner has been in attendance, (1) to personally satisfy myself that t-ho medical practitioner (called in just prior to or immediately after the death) is in doubt as to tho cause of such death. (2) Then to direct a post-mortem. At such postmortem I am always present. This, of course, costs me much time, and I (equally of course) receive no increased emolument for so doing, but I claim to be doing my work thoroughly. It by no means follows that in the case of every corpse that is found 'in the water' death has been caused by drowning. Where there is an absence of froth from nostrils, or of ' cutis ansorina,' I require a post-mortem, providing decomposition is not too far advanced. Many a person has been ' put away' by a blow on the head (or by other means), and the dead body thrown into the water. In the recent ease of tho Kapanui-Claymorw collision the man Clarke was proved by post-mortem examination to have expired prior to his immersion. He had been crushed to death, and no water had penetrated his lungs. Dr Beck, an American author on medical jurisprudence, says (page 523) ' that the duties of tihs office (coroner) aro imperfectly understood, and often most negligently performed, hardly admits of a doubt.'" Mr Gresham as to this says: "I am determined that no such charges shall be (justly) made against me. I quote from ' Luff,' vol. 1, page 6, a point which all medical practitioners should be awaiv of—viz., 'A death certificate should "not" be given by a medical practitioner if there bo " any reason to doubt" the cause of death being a natural one, " or if the d<vath has resulted either directly or indirectly from an accident or injury," when it becomes the duty of such practitioner to refer the case to the coroner.'" Mr Gresham also points out that city coron p rs. being paid " by the job," and not by fixed salary, have frequently to make preliminary inquiries, whereby an inquest is dispensed with. For such preliminary inqniries the coroner gets no remuneration whatever, although his dispensing with the holding of an inquest saves the country some £6 or more. In addition to this, the coroner's fee, which up to 1888 was two guineas per inquest, has since that time beea reduced to one guinea.