The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-12
prArnctnruIcArEsr EsrNrnrcoUNry
The Richmond Health Oficer Determined
to Require Them ~ Prerequisites To
Burial in the CITY.

The Richmond Health Officer Determined
to Require Them a. Prerequisites to
Burial in the CITY.
Tine TIMES I'M IFS Saturday issue gave
81 short account or the difficulty expert
cucoI in huryiug a one-year-Old child,
tnt bad died in its mothers arms In
Henr.co county just beyond the corpor.
ate limits of the city. The burial spot
was Hams cemetery. which, though in
the county. is conducted by its keepers
under The city ordinance which requires
- burial permit from the Board of Health
before intcrmcnt is allowed.
Hcnrc0 county has no coroner, and
oneutimcs when these deaths occur
without on attending physician it Is the
practice of "a justice or the peace, who are
nof physicians. 10 award a certificate of
death with the words, "Die1 from natural
causes I'm the last instance the magis
tatc fclt aggreved that the Board of
Health refused a buria' permit on such a
certificate from him. thus neCcssilating
400 inquest At which Richmond physician
bad t0 he present 20 endorse on the
death certificate the cause of death.
Dr Strau0n, president OF the Board OF
Health. SAYS that the magistrates have no
r.-ut Oh feel agrieved when, after being
informed of the requirements OF the city
ordinances. they persist in endeavoring
to prevail on him To DO what the City Al
t0ntr stated was contrary 10 duty. In
U. instance" Dr. StratOn says, "the
dictates of humanity alone caused me TO
issue. certificate on the magistrates re-
port ana 40 the tine | informed him OF
ile av Oh the subject. Through the
personal persuasion OF Judge Minor and
tlr same magistrate ] az another time ls
sued a certificate warning them that II
tle county did not make some provision
u ibis respect il should be my last, rs
l4i uOright TO extend my duties.
The object of these death certificates
+. NOT onlv the protection OF life, but a
defense against the introduction OF con-
tariuu. diseases. We have in Henrico
county many citizens who have moved
tl.re from other States They may visit
localities in which smallpox or cholera
prevail NAV die from the effects OF such
disease, contracted abroad and a man
Wlo is NOT physician be deceived. ii
such a case was brought through our
streets. and the disease introduced in
Obi. cifv. who would he blamed, the
county magistrate or the health 0i1cer'
think that Judge Minor, Judge w addlll,
and Mr. Thomas Commonwealth Al
f0rney can certify that IL Is not my
fault that The county has failed IN her
duty boz this regard 70 her own citizens.
Beside, what jurisdiction has the city
officers in the county or vice-yersa
Dr s,ratton further says that the
county can a. well afford to pay a com
rreni medical officer for this, his lgitl-
mate duty. as pay a magistrate - Tor Ger
ufy.nr without a medical examination
(which DE is unable TO make but simply
uu hearing evidence, while the con
sequences of his mistake are to be Visileu
0r nae. not only in cases OF contagious
diseases. but also in murder. Ihus tne
commerce and lives Of our citizens can be
placed in jeopardy by the magistrate
Jack 0f medical knowledge to rghtly de-
eide whether or not a person dled from
natural causes.
You can say" said the doctor, that
hereafter UNDER all circumstances, shail
adhere 20 the ordinances. There Is not
railway running into the city which Is
lot required to ascertain, by means OF "
certificate from practicing physician
before receiving body, that death was
aYt occasionoG by contagious disease
and do moi see " hy county magistrates
s.Cu.d be permitted TO send Dooy W wv
Cty for burial without similar require
mcut
THn Marnh ierm OF the Chester uelu