MEDICAL PRACTIONERS AS CORONERS.

Evening Star, Issue 4166, 4 July 1876, Page 3

MEDICAL PRACTIONERS AS CORONERS.

We bave been, favored witb tbe following correspondence for publication : Temple Chambers, Dunedin, 12th June, 1876 Sir—l have the honor Jto! call your attention to a resolution which I had the honor to move during the last session of the last Parliament, and which was unanimously passed by the House of Bepresentatives. The resolution which I refer to is the following:— "That in the opinion of this House, medical practioners in active public practice ought not to hold the office of a Corone .*." And, also, to request that you will be good enough to say when the Government intend to give practical effect to the resolution in so far, at least, as this City is concerned. The principle contained in the above resolution is one of giave importance to the medical profession, and more especially to the general public, who feel that it's not fit that any judge of any Court should be permitted to practise within the four corners of his own Court, to be the judge and jury in his own cases.gand to be the judge on other medical men's cases although assisted by a jury. The Coroner of this City is in active practice on the public, and is a visiting surgeon practising in the Dunedin Hospital.. The public sec from time to time published in the newspapers accounts of the amputation of a limb (which may be in a state of mortification) by themedical gentleman the Coroner of this City, and it is also at times thrown into a' state of alarm by hearing of the death of some woman from puerperal fever or puerperal peritonitis, and it ignorantly or intelligently concludes tbat both of those diseases are one and the same, and are cawed in the first instance by poison conveyed from dead bodies and the dissecting-room. The public seldom or never hear of. a Coroners inquest being held to ascertain the cause of the deaths above erumerated, which are unfortunately of too frequent occurrence. A certificate of death, and a grave, and a few loads of earth are all that is necessary in such cases, bufc,if the death had been that of a valuable animal more would be said and heard about it, and the Supreme Court would very likely be called upon to determine the position. Apologising for. taking np so much of your time, am, &c, « J. B. Bbadshaw. The Hon. the Minister of Justice, Wellington.

Department of Justice, Wellington, 23rd June. 1876. Sir,—l have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th instant, and in reply, to inform yon tbat a Bill has been prepared and will be< introduced this session providing for an amendment of the Coroners Act ia the direction you suggest.—l am, &c,, Chas. C. Bowbn. J". B. Bradshaw, Esq., Danedin.