Second report of the Departmental Committee appointed to inquire into the law relating to coroners and coroners' inquests, and into the practice in coroners' courts.

  • Great Britain. Committee on Coroners.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Second report of the Departmental Committee appointed to inquire into the law relating to coroners and coroners' inquests, and into the practice in coroners' courts. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    8 June 1909. ] [ Continued. 6810. Is there any charter giving the power ?—Not that I know of; but it is impossible to say; one can- not get at it at all. 6811. It is practically by prescription, then P—I suppose it is. I see no other reason for it. 6812. You cannot ascertain the actual power by which the coroner is appointed ?—No, I do not know. I only know that it has always been so. 6813. Can you go so far as to tell me during what length of time the coroner has been appointed in this way ?—No, I cannot; it is very, very ancient. 6814. It goes back, I suppose, beyond search almost ?—Yes, I think so. 6815. (Dr. Willcox.) In about what proportion of cases of reported deaths do you hold an inquest; a large or a small number. Do you find it always necessary to hold an inquest in all cases P—Oh, dear, no; I think, perhaps I hold an inquest in about two thirds of the reported cases. The police have orders to report all cases of sudden death, and of course in a great many such cases where the cause is’ palpable, such as heart failure and many others, it is not necessary to put the county to the expense of an inquest. 6816. Do you often find it necessary to order a post-mortem examination?—Yes; in cases of child death especially. 6817. In what proportion, about, of cases in which you hold an inquest do you order a post-mortem ?—In about three in 20, 6818. And in cases where you hold an inquest, but do not find it necessary to order a post-mortem, do you get a medical certificate ?—I summon a medical witness. 6819. Take the case of a man whose dead body was found in the water; what would be your procedure ?— I have a medical witness and a post-mortem, unless there is palpable evidence of fracture of the neck or fracture of the skull, or something of that kind, or unless the body is too much decomposed to enable a post-mortem to be made. 6820. You alluded to the term fracture of the skull; would you take the evidence of a layman as to whether it was produced during life or after death ?—Certainly not. 6821. You would call a medical man ?—Most assuredly. Sir Mautcotm Morris, K.C.V.O., F.R.C.S. Mr. THomas ARTHUR BRAMSDON, M.P. Mr. Wiutu1am H. Wiutcox, M.D. Mr. J. F. Moyian (Secretary). 6822. (Chacrman.) I believe you have been Pro- fessor of Chemistry in the University of Manchester for the past 17 years P—I have. 6823. And you have been engaged in investigating the subject of flannelette in the laboratory of the university P—I have, during the past 10 years. 6824. Would you state why flannelette is so popular ? —The popularity of flannelette, especially as a material for children’s underclothing, is based upon its many sterling qualities. It has warmth and cosiness, and is capable of being produced in colours and effects scarcely distinguishable from those of wool. It wears well, and is so cheap that it is within the reach of even the very poor. 6825. What is it made of P—It is made of cotton with a raised surface. 6826. And it is because it has that raised surface that it is comfortable and popular, and also for the same reason it is inflammable ?—Yes. 6827. I suppose you have no idea of the number of accidents that there have been owing to flannelette; you can only say that there have been a _ great number ?—It is very difficult to say exactly how many accidents there have been, becayse it is not always stated in the reports of inquests’whether the accident is due to flannelette or not. 6828. For some years efforts, I understand, have been made to reduce the inflammability of flannelette, among chemists and manufacturers P—That is so. 6829. For 20 years past P—Yes. 6830. Perhaps you will tell us what it is that reuders it so dangerous P—The warmth of the fabric is due to the fact that it has a raised nap consisting of minute fibres ; but the very result of the raised nap is that when the fabric comes in contact with a spark, or a piece of hot coal, these fibres instantly carry the flame over the whole surface, and the wearer of the garment, usually a child, is ina few seconds severely and often fatally burned. 6831. Then the longer and the looser the nap the more dangerous the flannelette must be ?—That is so. 6832. Is there any connection between the dangerous character of the material and the price; is it more dangerous as it becomes cheaper ?—It is much more dangerous as it becomes cheaper in price. 6833. The cheaper sorts are much more dangerous ? —That is so, generally speaking, of course. At the same time the more expensive sorts are also very dangerous, especially after they have been washed ; even the very expensive kinds after they have been washed are very dangerous. 6834. The danger, I understand, depends entirely upon the character of the nap ?—Yes, and of course all flannelette necessarily has a nap, and it is all dan- gerous; but the longer the nap, as you were saying, the more dangerous is the flannelette. 6835. As compared with other substances, with flannel, for instance, or other materials that are made use of for garments, how does it compare ?—It is very much more dangerous than flannels; flannel is con- sidered generally to be safe, and persons clothed in flannel are generally considered to be safely clothed ; but when they are clothed in flannelette they subject themselves to immense danger from fire.