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REGISTRARS AND MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.
691
REGISTRARS AND MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.
help him in every way compatible patients and their friends.
with its
duty
to its.
To the Editors of THE LANCET. It appears to me that in a town like Oldham, which has thenumber of uncertified deaths in the United Kingdom, SIRS,—On taking up THE LANCET this morning, I largest as the returns in your pages periodically show, it would be observed an annotation under the above heading; and, as good were the local registrar to exhibit the same amount of it seems to me somewhat of an ex-parte nature, I beg to zeal in refusing the so-called death "certificates" of the
it by a statement of facts and some remarks numerous ignorant and illegal practitioners medical thereon. I attended the person referred to, who died on botanists, self-styled homoeopaths, et hoc geJ1us omne—with the 3rd inst., and the following day I gave the usual which this town abounds, and who practise in the most manner without let or hindrance, to the danger and certificate of death to the deceased’s sister, stating thereon open destruction of the public health. The as the cause of death, " Exhaustion-seven days." I remain, Sirs, yours faithfully, same day the sister called on me and said that the R. MAXWELL MOFFAT, M.D. Oldham, Sept. 29th, 1888. registrar refused to register the death because the certificate I then explained that it was quite correct, and was wrong. referred her back to the registrar. He again refused to BIRMINGHAM. registerit; and the following day I was again waited upon by the deceased’s brothers. I repeated my explanation and (From our own Correspondent.) again referred them to the registrar. The registrar then referred the certificate to the coroner, who declined to interTHE MEDICAL INSTITUTE. fere by holding an inquest. I then reported the circumstances to the Registrar-General, with whom I have had a CONSIDERABLE feeling has been manifested among the lengthy correspondence. As the body was buried, I assume members of the Medical Institute in consequence of the These are the my certificate was ultimately registered. meeting of the Homeeopathic Congress being lately held facts very briefly stated, and on them I have to remark :1. That at page 215 of the "Nomenclature of Diseases," in the building. It seems that an application was made by the Royal College of Physicians, "exhaustion" for the use of the library for a meeting at a given approved is given as a primary cause of death; and that accordingly, date. As a meeting of the Council would not be held! in stating that cause, I followed the course approved by the until after the time mentioned, the secretary consulted the College. Either I am right or the College of Physicians is president of the institute, who granted the application wrong. 2. I would draw attention to the fact that theregistrar, under the impression that it was an ordinary meeting for in returning the certificate of a qualified medical man with scientific purposes of no special interest. Astonishment the verbal intimation that it was wrong, was not only was felt when a public announcement appeared in the local but his sending such a message press of the proceedings of the Homceopathic Congress held guilty of through the mouths of people ignorant of such matters was in the library of the institute, and still more so when it calculated to impress them with the idea that I was not a was seen that the president of the Congress devoted a large qualified practitioner. Such conduct on the part of the portion of his address to a revival of the old feud of 1875 registrar might, in the first case, have been due to want of concerning the admission of homoeopaths as members of’ thought or want of judgment, but as he had an opportunity the institute. As a consequence there have been several afforded him of remedying it when the certificate was resignations, and more are talked of, it being felt that the returned to him, which lie did not avail himself of, I could use of the library having been obtained by anything but a not hold him free from blame, and as my certificate was clear understanding as to the purpose required, there was the additional bad taste exhibited in the remarks of those legally right I refused to alter it. 3. Section 20 of the Registration Act says the medical who had become self-invited guests. attendant shall give a certificate stating "to the best of his QUEEN’S COLLEGE. knowledge and belief the cause of death, and the cause of conversazione and prize distribution took annual .The death as stated im that certificate shall be entered in the on the 1st inst. The Mayor The Act not the occupied the chair, and the and place cause, Register." distinctly says causes. It says nothing about contributory-i.e., primary, there was a large attendance. The report showed that the of medical students on the books stood at 193, with secondary, and tertiary—causes. Therefore, having com- number The facilities for a prospect of increase this session. of law in the with the letter the plied proximate instruction in giving cause of death and the recognised nomenclature, the certigeneral and special knowledge were pointed ficate should havebeen duly registered in accordance with out as being exceptionally good, while a large field for the Act. It cannot be pretended that there was any shadow clinical work is afforded by a number of hospitals of various of I I snspicious circumstances" or any other legitimate cause kinds. MASON COLLEGE. for referring the matter to the coroner. In opposition to See. 20 the Registrar-General quotes Sec. 44 The opening meeting of the nintli session of this Collegeof the Act (37 and 38 Vic., cap. 88), which gives him power, also took place on the 1st inst. The inaugural address was with the sanction of the Local Government Board, to amend delivered by Professor Hillhouse, chairman of the Academic the forms of the schedules to the Act, but I fail to see that Board. It was pointed out that there had been a large it gives him power to add to or subtract from the provisions increase in the number of students attending the day and of the Act, and the Act distinctly says " the cause," and not evening classes. In the day classes there were 449, of "the causes," and that I take to mean the proximate cause. whom 256 were men and 193 women ; and in the evening Contributory causes might be multiplied to any extent, and classes there were 304, of whom 228 were men and 76, I hold that the Legislature did not contemplate medical women. Various scholarships and prizes were awarded. men being compelled to give to local registrars the medical CRUELTY TO CHILDREN. history of their deceased patients to any extent that the think fit to that directfor a largely attended meeting held at the Council HouseAt might Registrar-General is practically his contention. It was not contemplated on Sept. 27th a branch of the London Society for the prethat medical men should give, for example, a certificate vention of Cruelty to Children was formed. The Mayor of death from "apoplexy," and be compelled to state occupied the chair,and the Rev. B. Waugh attended tolay thereon as a contributory or primary cause "syphilis,’ before the meeting the objects and the working of the to the disgust of the relatives and the scandal of a respect- Society. Much interest was manifested in the account able family. I therefore maintain that for a medical mar given, and an influential executive committee was appointed to give exhaustion" as a cause of death is a legally suffi to carry into operation the aims of the Society. cient statement of the cause of death to the best of hi: VACCINATION PROSECUTION. knowledge and belief as required by the Act. That it maz At a case recentlv heard at the Aston Police Court, a not be departmentally satisfactory to the Registrar-Genera is not a matter which concerns the profession; but if h< point was raised that the onus of proving that the child had require further information for the purpose of classification, _ not been vaccinated rested with the prosecution and not it is his duty to apply privately to the medical attendant with the defence. It was argued, on the contrary, with and then I have no doubt the profession will be willing t. much ability, that it rested with the defendant, inasmuch
supplement
-
discourtesy,
hold
.
REGISTRARS AND MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.
help him in every way compatible patients and their friends.
with its
duty
to its.
To the Editors of THE LANCET. It appears to me that in a town like Oldham, which has thenumber of uncertified deaths in the United Kingdom, SIRS,—On taking up THE LANCET this morning, I largest as the returns in your pages periodically show, it would be observed an annotation under the above heading; and, as good were the local registrar to exhibit the same amount of it seems to me somewhat of an ex-parte nature, I beg to zeal in refusing the so-called death "certificates" of the
it by a statement of facts and some remarks numerous ignorant and illegal practitioners medical thereon. I attended the person referred to, who died on botanists, self-styled homoeopaths, et hoc geJ1us omne—with the 3rd inst., and the following day I gave the usual which this town abounds, and who practise in the most manner without let or hindrance, to the danger and certificate of death to the deceased’s sister, stating thereon open destruction of the public health. The as the cause of death, " Exhaustion-seven days." I remain, Sirs, yours faithfully, same day the sister called on me and said that the R. MAXWELL MOFFAT, M.D. Oldham, Sept. 29th, 1888. registrar refused to register the death because the certificate I then explained that it was quite correct, and was wrong. referred her back to the registrar. He again refused to BIRMINGHAM. registerit; and the following day I was again waited upon by the deceased’s brothers. I repeated my explanation and (From our own Correspondent.) again referred them to the registrar. The registrar then referred the certificate to the coroner, who declined to interTHE MEDICAL INSTITUTE. fere by holding an inquest. I then reported the circumstances to the Registrar-General, with whom I have had a CONSIDERABLE feeling has been manifested among the lengthy correspondence. As the body was buried, I assume members of the Medical Institute in consequence of the These are the my certificate was ultimately registered. meeting of the Homeeopathic Congress being lately held facts very briefly stated, and on them I have to remark :1. That at page 215 of the "Nomenclature of Diseases," in the building. It seems that an application was made by the Royal College of Physicians, "exhaustion" for the use of the library for a meeting at a given approved is given as a primary cause of death; and that accordingly, date. As a meeting of the Council would not be held! in stating that cause, I followed the course approved by the until after the time mentioned, the secretary consulted the College. Either I am right or the College of Physicians is president of the institute, who granted the application wrong. 2. I would draw attention to the fact that theregistrar, under the impression that it was an ordinary meeting for in returning the certificate of a qualified medical man with scientific purposes of no special interest. Astonishment the verbal intimation that it was wrong, was not only was felt when a public announcement appeared in the local but his sending such a message press of the proceedings of the Homceopathic Congress held guilty of through the mouths of people ignorant of such matters was in the library of the institute, and still more so when it calculated to impress them with the idea that I was not a was seen that the president of the Congress devoted a large qualified practitioner. Such conduct on the part of the portion of his address to a revival of the old feud of 1875 registrar might, in the first case, have been due to want of concerning the admission of homoeopaths as members of’ thought or want of judgment, but as he had an opportunity the institute. As a consequence there have been several afforded him of remedying it when the certificate was resignations, and more are talked of, it being felt that the returned to him, which lie did not avail himself of, I could use of the library having been obtained by anything but a not hold him free from blame, and as my certificate was clear understanding as to the purpose required, there was the additional bad taste exhibited in the remarks of those legally right I refused to alter it. 3. Section 20 of the Registration Act says the medical who had become self-invited guests. attendant shall give a certificate stating "to the best of his QUEEN’S COLLEGE. knowledge and belief the cause of death, and the cause of conversazione and prize distribution took annual .The death as stated im that certificate shall be entered in the on the 1st inst. The Mayor The Act not the occupied the chair, and the and place cause, Register." distinctly says causes. It says nothing about contributory-i.e., primary, there was a large attendance. The report showed that the of medical students on the books stood at 193, with secondary, and tertiary—causes. Therefore, having com- number The facilities for a prospect of increase this session. of law in the with the letter the plied proximate instruction in giving cause of death and the recognised nomenclature, the certigeneral and special knowledge were pointed ficate should havebeen duly registered in accordance with out as being exceptionally good, while a large field for the Act. It cannot be pretended that there was any shadow clinical work is afforded by a number of hospitals of various of I I snspicious circumstances" or any other legitimate cause kinds. MASON COLLEGE. for referring the matter to the coroner. In opposition to See. 20 the Registrar-General quotes Sec. 44 The opening meeting of the nintli session of this Collegeof the Act (37 and 38 Vic., cap. 88), which gives him power, also took place on the 1st inst. The inaugural address was with the sanction of the Local Government Board, to amend delivered by Professor Hillhouse, chairman of the Academic the forms of the schedules to the Act, but I fail to see that Board. It was pointed out that there had been a large it gives him power to add to or subtract from the provisions increase in the number of students attending the day and of the Act, and the Act distinctly says " the cause," and not evening classes. In the day classes there were 449, of "the causes," and that I take to mean the proximate cause. whom 256 were men and 193 women ; and in the evening Contributory causes might be multiplied to any extent, and classes there were 304, of whom 228 were men and 76, I hold that the Legislature did not contemplate medical women. Various scholarships and prizes were awarded. men being compelled to give to local registrars the medical CRUELTY TO CHILDREN. history of their deceased patients to any extent that the think fit to that directfor a largely attended meeting held at the Council HouseAt might Registrar-General is practically his contention. It was not contemplated on Sept. 27th a branch of the London Society for the prethat medical men should give, for example, a certificate vention of Cruelty to Children was formed. The Mayor of death from "apoplexy," and be compelled to state occupied the chair,and the Rev. B. Waugh attended tolay thereon as a contributory or primary cause "syphilis,’ before the meeting the objects and the working of the to the disgust of the relatives and the scandal of a respect- Society. Much interest was manifested in the account able family. I therefore maintain that for a medical mar given, and an influential executive committee was appointed to give exhaustion" as a cause of death is a legally suffi to carry into operation the aims of the Society. cient statement of the cause of death to the best of hi: VACCINATION PROSECUTION. knowledge and belief as required by the Act. That it maz At a case recentlv heard at the Aston Police Court, a not be departmentally satisfactory to the Registrar-Genera is not a matter which concerns the profession; but if h< point was raised that the onus of proving that the child had require further information for the purpose of classification, _ not been vaccinated rested with the prosecution and not it is his duty to apply privately to the medical attendant with the defence. It was argued, on the contrary, with and then I have no doubt the profession will be willing t. much ability, that it rested with the defendant, inasmuch
supplement
-
discourtesy,
hold
.