Letter of Mr Baker, one of the Coroners for Middlesex.

  • Baker, William, coroner.
Date:
[1849]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letter of Mr Baker, one of the Coroners for Middlesex. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    t Printed for use of Commissioners onlyf vopoJ tt**n £euif r£. » Letter of Mr Baker5 one of the Coroners for Middlesex. 12 Chester Terrace, Regent's Park, 19tli February, 1849. Sir,—I have felt it to be my duty to draw the attention of Her Majesty’s Justices and Commissioners of Sewers to several cases of death which have occurred within my district of the county of Middlesex, in the parishes of Shoreditch, Hackney, Bethnal Green, Bromley, etc., and have pointed out the several localities where there have been great complaints of the deficiency of the sewage; and I am now again directed by a jury to call their special attention, through you, to the sewer at Silkmill row, Hackney wick. I have this day held an inquest on a child, who has died from fever arising from the foetid and noxious effluvia inhaled from a large mass of stagnated mud lying there, uncovered by water, and, according to the medical testimony, there have been no fewer than six deaths from the same cause within the last five weeks. I wrote to the late Commissioners respecting this sewer. Some loads of mud were then removed, but the place is now in the same disgraceful state, and unless some attention is immediately paid to the abatement of the evil and nuisance complained of, there must necessarily be a continuance of the mortality, the mother of the deceased being very ill from the same cause, and another child being seized with fever this day. I consider myself placed in a situation of grave responsibility in reference to these and other cases of neglected sewage and drainage to which I have alluded; and feel it to be absolutely necessary to draw the attention of the Commissioners to the state of the Criminal Law on this subject as it stands affected by the recent Acts which have been passed by the legislature for the preservation of the public health, the prevention of the loss of life, the promoting of a sufficient drainage, and the removal of nuisances. The law is shortly, but very clearly laid down by the late Commis¬ sioners appointed to inquire into the state of the Criminal Law, and is as follows result from bodily injury occasioned by some act or unlawful omission, as contra-distinguished from death occasioned by an influence on the mind, or by any disease arising from such - influence. “ Article 2. The terms 1 unlawful omission,’ comprehend every case where any one being under legal obligation to supply food, clothing, or other aid, or make any other provision for the sus- tentation of life, or prevention of injury to life, is guilty of any breach of such duty. u Article 3. It is homicide, although the effects of the injury be merely to accelerate the death of any one labouring under some previous injury or infirmity, or although if timely remedies or skilful treatment had been applied death might have been prevented.” A CA