The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-09
THE CORONER'S REPORT,
Remarkable InSufficiency OF
the Morgue Shown by
DR.. Hawkins.
improvements Under Way The
Gruesome Records In Death of
the Fiscal Year.

"The Morgue should be removed at once
to more suitable quarters, says Coroner
Hawkins in his annual report. Removal
is imperative, because certain necessary
Improvements cannot be made until this
is DONE" continues the doctor.
GA refrigeratingroom should be imme-
diately constructed. The walls might be
of cement, with a glass front, through
which unidentified bodies could be easily
and readily seen. The law requires bodies
to be kept for twenty-four hours for identi-
fication. That is not sufficient time. At
least two or three days should be the
minimum limit. Then many persons
buried as unknown would undoubtedly
be identified. The refrigerating-room
should be supplied with a system of cold
storage including an arrangement of pipes
with ammonia or some other substance to
abstract the heat from the air.
"In murder cases the preservation of the
body for several days would frequently aid
in the detection of criminals. Nearly
every large Eastern city has refrigerating-
room attached to the Morgue." The cost
of this improvement DR.. Hawkins esti-
mates will be $1,000.
The autopsy-room is declared to be
ridiculously inadequate in every way for
the proper dissection of bodies. The
apparatus is ancient and insufficient and
at least $500 will be needed to purchase
necessary instruments and appliances.
The Coroner cites the case of Minnie
Williams TO illustrate the poverty of the
appliances in the autopsy room. In that
case, he says a microscopic examination
was necessary to ascertain essential facts.
Having no microscope, the Coroner was
led - IL.
outside microscopists. The microscope
wanted will cost $3.50.
Then, again, there is no repository for
Morgue records. They are thrown every
where. 1t is practically impossible to look
up the history of cases that happened
years ago. Fireproof lockers are needed
They would cost about $3.50.
Coroner Hawkins announces he has COM
menced the extensive work of improve
ment by having one of the rooms on the
third floor fitted up for laboratory, where
chemical analysis of stomachs may be
made.
Heretofore the work has been done by
outsiders away from the jurisdiction of
officers of the law. That such has been
the procedure, writes the Coroner, is
shame and scandal public disgrace, an
insult to the dead and a cause of grief 20
the friends and relatives of the dead
There is plenty of opportunity offered to
make chemical substtutions while the
stomachs sent out for analysis are away
from the office, so that the real purpose OF
the analysis is very liable to be defeated
by designing persons interested in do
ing SO.
The new laboratory now being fitted up
will cost about $3.50.
Coroner Hawkins suggests that in re-
moving the Morgue location as close to
the present one as possible be chosen, and
until such time as the proposed new build
ing to be erected on the site of the old City
Hall is constructed.
Then follows list of expenses incurred
in the prosecution of the duties of the
Coroner's office for the fiscal year ended
June 30, as follows:
Chemical analysis. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $3.50 90
Rewards for recovering bodies from San
Francisco Bay. Observation-Disclosures. 800 90
Interpreters. Observation-Disclosures. 95 90
Boat hire for recovery of body. .......... 90
Witnesses railroad fare Ceases of Eugene
Ware and All How % 65
Total ..$207S IS
During the year 626 deaths were reported