San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-30
Over 100000 worth of San Antonio
the Health Office.

the Health Office.
Over half the people who die here
are strangers, who stay at home un-
til they get one foot in the grave, aud
then they come here aud expect to
pull il out. They die; that is what
raises our death rate.
1t is hard TO say how many are
shipped; about one-fourth, expect.
Yes, there is a law in this city TO
the effect that bodies must be buried
within SO hours after death, bat we
DON'T obey it. How can we, when
people die here in the boarding
| houses and hotels and their families
have to be telegraphsd to, and, sup
| pose they live IN California, Michigan
or Montana, why il takes them 8, 4
and sometimes days to get here.
Yes sir. We need morgue.
We could have one for
| very little money, too. The cellar Of
| the city hall is not all used for q Jail.
Why not appropriate a couple OF
rooms for the purpose, buy some slabs,
| hire al attendant and have a morgue
down there. Or, what Is the matter
with the city hospital; they have
| mum Der of rooms out there that are
| not used for anything; use two or
| three of them. Another reason why
We need morgue; Suppose, as is the
case once in while, a person is shot,
or poisoned, and an inquest and an.
topsy must be held, and the body
| viewed for recognition, where can you
| take II? 1t is true We can, and do &C.
| commodaJe such cases here, but 1t is
some inconvenience to have crowd
OF people, the majority of whom come
IRON mere curiosity, tramping in, out
and through the office.
Yes I think q private corporation,
if they could get the consent of the
| lhe city, could make expenses, yes,
and make money. We ought to have
one at any rate The cellar OF the
| city hall Is the best place. We ought
| to have one for the benefit of strang-
ers, for eff them We make our
| money. If it was not for the strangers
| who die here, the undertakers would
go begging, as the number of resi-
| dents who die, is SO small that we
could not make our rent.
DR. Braunnasel was then approach
ed on the subject. He said:
Why, of course, We ought to have
one. 1 recommended it in my annual
report for the fiscal year ending Feb
ruary 20, 1855. You remember, no
doubt, that thu subject was agitat-
ed good deal then, but the city had
and SILL has, no money, that it can
appropriate for that purpose.
| What, in q house with the living
have rooms for the dead? Why, OF
course not. The idea Is too foolish for
/ q
in this city you must have q separate
building, where all the appliances
for dissecting a body CAP be kept
You must have water, embalming
rooms, etc. 1t would cost very little
to keep it running after once started.
The cost to start 1t, could not say
what would be. A nice little sum
} though.
Another thing about a morgue
The county ought to erect and main
tain it, as state officers have the ex
elusive right to hold inquests, and i
the city had it in charge they would
be under orders of the state officers in
tbst matter.
The best location for it would be al
the northwest corner of the city hos
pital lot, corner north Frio and Perez
streets. / think the city would cheer.
! fully donate lot there if the county
would erect the building.
The reporter also called on Sanitary
Inspector E. W. Bates who cheerful!
furnished him the following averages
per month, from March l, 1891, t
February 20, 1892: Deaths, 81; ship
ments, IL; deaths by accident ant
violence, 8. Mr.. Bates stated tina
twc-thirds of the number of death
were strangers.