New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-03
TIE CORONERS GLOOMT TASK.
DETERMINING THE CAUSES OF DEATHS.
WHAT Is DISCLOSED ny TuE KNIFE IN PosT-MoR-
TEN EXAMINATIONS.

WHAT Is DISCLOSED BY TUE KNIFE ~ fOSl-hVI'-
TEN EXAHINA1ION@.
Few men see more of the gloomy side of life thai
deputy coroner Sees His Official dnies require him to
ud out and certify TO the causes OF death IN all
where medicrl men not in attendance aud IL one
hour he may yi.;t the h,mb;c home of abec poverty
and in the next the splendid mansion OF unb0unded
wca' h. But wherever his visit made sorrow IS the
certain accompaniment
1.-THE position Of deputy coroner Ia not particularly
desirable" said Deputy Coroner Jenans TO TRIBUNE
reporter except to earnest student IN pathology
10 Inn II prcscffs unboundel fields for research aud
thus aHrls some reconpense Tor the generally glaOmy
character Of the duties There no bright spots III
,ae work and NJ sccnoa nd incidents waIch may be
recalled with pleasure except from purely pro
fc. si1ual point Of view One fac that experience has
taught me which might be used TO advantage by the
temperance people s that fhly 30 per cent OF tho
sudden deaths which the Corluer's o5,co ID called
upon 10 investigate may be attributed either directly or
indirectly 10 the exec 'syc 81 alcoholic stimrnt'.
The deputy corcnrr * The judge t. whe'hcr or not
al ano,sy i, necessary in case Of sudden death. In
all les when any sIspicjun arises to the cai - OF
death an autopsy i. hel We frequently come across
siuoqIlar casrs The most crIUu5 That con call To
mind new ia that OF Major Wcm1r. who was at one
ume private SECRETARY to President johnson lie died
.uddeuiy in I've y-eighth-st., somc time ago ana
had the case From letters when nc let there was
little room for doubt IL at he had committed suicide
An autopsy wac held aud i; shown plainly that he
had Lot RIlcd hiusc but had died from the ohect OF
the bursting OF an ancuri,m in he aorta. IL was
curious tact that c should have made all rangem MS
FIR committing suicide aud ;hch died OF an ane"rslh
after ALL We have horrible cases son!ettYe>. Inc
most brutal murder ever was that OF the China
man woo was billed in CntoH-st some two years GS'
lie had no less than fifteen stab wounds and there wac
little work lett for the deputy to ito in the way
of =. post nortem examination. Little less brutal wa'
IA, murder If Richard liaad the drug clcrt in iud
so,st lis head waa crushed To- Jelly and his thr"at
VIA cut igIfu To car These eases thJhRl are
siu,,y horrible rdm their brutality aud there - NOT
tnythiug particularly rcpul-iv" about them TO
medical man Another cia.s %! cd-.' which gIya Us
auch pcrc trouble age tho ~ vhich the SUBJECT ba'
been buried for soHc TINE. such CAGE - enough To-
icnpt A nan to giye mp hil position m dl'Sast.
RENE nih.r tie eases 81 Misses CuTngan htd byIhea
they had been buried TOR tii"c ua"ths "nen e!'c'n
stone arose which ma II necessary - Ho'" 'S'
morton examination. IEty Wers cNhunod ana thc
| examination WIS held. II trlehtiui tasb.
io,ihtr disaoreclhe sort OF WORK j. IN holding post
NOR ~ on borc, that have been ~ TIE water ior
cons lrtaic time. Sach extremely reiuSi'' cases are
| fortunately rare, however
4, snlci. in sur .cr, the most Interesting ca es
of course. are hose q" violent DEATH ma def- Suic!,'
aud 1ccfdcuts We came across some reuHlk tb''
wounds at times. the study of when amply rePAs "
Tor MANY Jl-A -tccabic JOBS. Nhnih'F hsc o' VIVA
extremely interesting medical man = III observing
iu. o1rci a ~ioLs poi.ou, on tho human system IN
suciIc, by puionius. Then ~ to ac h'Iu-ui Jay
nam woili ha.G.y Imagine th. e.. n'luDu Ia which tne
internal nrguu. at - human heiug arc found from the
! ch,r.. of alcohol. Do siom "a rouEc,icd "h"
i,lagi.i lidtrys $40 - and csirh away. The h'tr
tlty and the h,lrt worn ust % s1E LothinG ~ We
fr,ucp, .rs Of irain trouble directly Attributable 10
alr Asin orc ui the NOT frequent cli.c' OF dcati
/ due ind,.r,.ly 20 alcohol De- us OVERLAPPING and
! suo;hcung OF iulau.s by dya"1"a parents. Inc
alcoholic habit D. by no mraus r.Lbnrd t. men Nn'.t
a. ltgc proportion Of Sudden deaths are duc Z, iLI9
/ cln., anon" women - "moaH incn. me 'a''">'
srcres W. zoe l.r among The rN'tc"rlN poor Ia ny
three vcar.' cvu,ricucc have sccu sats when ~od"l
! touch heart. Of s-ohc.
F-auuen,l, We have trouble with the relatives OF
subject Many people Im,N gay almost all obi'ct 10
bt,u their relatives opens 80 On, ana ace al Dos l"'
mean, f., ntcvcut il. OF CuIr-" ~ oIr Augment a..
guiUp.y is accc,sary, il must be held. Ii i hard
thnurii son.euc, To- tao appeals 4 brrra'ed
vie or Iaoth-r The ctcatc-t trouble comes nom ,tc
poorest anI most ignorant clas'es. - fdle INK III
cent pen1e cau the ueC"--itl at the efnnlhiu II
and siir OF 'OGIse. they d. lot ME u. tLei i'h'f
ryc their consent lWof4Ht pc1i We often nae 10
Tine. ten with the tcfTuT- "t tho law 'h tho 'l"''
hand we occasio 1ally forced 1" make unucrr IA
mntt,n. For cNaiul Tie case nI Miss 'oIl'N"u
some DAYS ago. ! oil not make the autopsy myself,
! hu have hal similar cases. reputable physician
cor,ifr. trai death il dive e. Ia'Hral cau-e- an a
! burial permit given. suspicion o i"n' play -
raised M the MUD lf some irtnd or relative AMI an
Investigation ha 10 be ulde 90 satisfy public ouiann,
though there may not be- the shadow al doubt IN TIE
! mind Of the CORONER ~ 10 The cause 0l death.
! Oar wOrA is MT devoid OF dagger aud aut' s'7
! have TO hc made With cTtrcnc Gaze. lie slshi''.
| wuund or abrasion may be followed by lat" ''o'h
! Doisoning.'