Report by the Central Board of Health of Jamaica / presented to the legislature under the provisions of the 14th Vic. chap. 60, and printed by order of the Assembly.

Jamaica. Central Board of Health

Date:: 1852

Credit: Report by the Central Board of Health of Jamaica / presented to the legislature under the provisions of the 14th Vic. chap. 60, and printed by order of the Assembly. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

541/594 (page 231)

$Appendix, 2.>r his occupation is clerk of the peace and clerk to ti)e magistrates ; his probable income, as coroner, is £\io per annum. He resides at Green Vale, ten or twelve miles up the Spanish Uiver. About four is the^ avenige number of post mortem examinations per an-* nam ;°acci(lental death is the preponderatinjj cause of mortality at coroners' inquests. No. II. do consider that the public would benefit by having the office of coroner tilled up by a duly qualified medical practitioner, on the ground of his bein.a:, from his j)rofessionai knowledoe, the most skiU ful antagonist to tlie poisoner and murderer ; the mere knowledge (particularly with the negro population) of the (ioctor always having, as coroner, to see the dead l)o(!y would acl in terrorem, and 1 am convinced frequently prevent the commission of crime. No. I'i. There is, 1 believe, an attempt atregistra-J tion in this parish, but it is very unsatisfactory. No. 1.3 I'hcre is no public register kept in this pa- rish slicwing t!»e diseases most common and fatal dur- ing the last ten years. No. 14. The rite of marriage is not generally ob- served by the peasantry of this parish. 'J'heir ofT- gpriugs are generally the result of the illicit inter- course of the sexes. No. 15. Obeahism and myalism are practiced m this pariish, but f doubt if obeahism prevails to the ex- tent of the credulity of the inhabitants ; their belief m it is universal, with a few rare exceptions of persons of superior education; from this cause the ** quack dociur.s are chiedy supported. No. Tiiere are, iu lliis parish, uneducated black and brown men, and women, who practice on the tick as quack doctors; the payments they receive ure general IV ti iilinu;. No. 17. ] do know of instances where noxious nnx-' lures h.ave been administered by such person>«, and have reason to believe that such cases have occurred. No. 18. 1 ilo think tiiat recourse would be had cyxunioiily to such quacks. If the professional ser-$