Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-18
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook's Opinion
Of the Morgue.
HIS PLEA FOR IMPROVED FACILITIES
Efforts to Induce Congress to Make
an Appropriation.
N ECESSITY POINTED OUT

Ihtre is no one, perhaps, in Washington
who knows so well the absolute necessity
VIII exists here for Il moderniy equip
ped morgue than does DR. l.. w. Glaze
brock, the deputy coroner of the District
He Is earnestly furtherng in every possible
way the efforts of the District Commission
ers and of the coroner to secure the
Houses approval of the appropriation of
s., 100 which the Senate added to the pend
ing District appropriation bill for the con-
version Of the d street engine house into
a nlorgue. which. while it will not be all
that could be desired, will be such a de-
cided Improvement over the present So
called morsue as to make it a decided ac-
QUESTION to the District.
Speaking to a Star reporter today DR.
Glazebrook said no one who has ever Wis
tied the old stable in the rear of the sixth
police precinct, which has been used as a
morgue for several years. can question the
absolute and imperative necessity for a
modernly equipped institution.
Year after year. said DR.. Glazebrook
especially in the summer months the Sc
Nerest complaints have been made against
the present morgue by the people in its
neigh6orhood, and they have at times even
gone so far as to ask the health officer to
condemn 1t as nuisance and Il menace
10 health. The odors that emanate from
- 'iS C.. hiiSH SIMPLY uoiTlDlt anu uneI-
durable. Why, the policemen who sleep
at the police precinct In the warm weather
when che or more bodies are at the morsuc
are compelled to pull down the windows in
an effort to escape the dreadful odors
But even then escape from them is not Sc
cured and have no doubt many men have
had their health seriously affected.
Busiest Season of the Year.
1.-The busiest season for the coroner IS
In the spring and summer months when
some OF the worst cases. as regards the
condition of the bodies brought to the
morgue. come to hand. Frequently dur
ing warm weather bodies are carried there
which have, for instance, been in the
water for weeks, and even months. OF
course" they are in dreadful state of
rutrefaction. the odor from them being
something almost beyond comprehension
There is only one miserable old ice box at
the morgue in which 10 preserve or keen
these bodies. and when that is filled. as
OFTEN occurs, the other bodies must be
placed on the floor of the building, to be
kept, as the law requires, three days for
the purpose of identification before being
buried in potter's field.
This so-called morgue is only about II
by 20 feet, with ceiling but ten feet high
so one can easily imagine the horrible state
or aHalrs when there is more than one body
there. The ice box was donated several
years ago by a local undertaken and was
then but secondhand affair. A physician
Is supposed to be able to stand anything
but L am frank to say that often I have,
when making an autopsy. been overcome
by being compelled to work, say an hour
or two over badly decomposed body in
such close quarters. We have either, in
such cases. to keep the one door and the
two small windows tightly closed or else
open them and offend the nostrils and en-
danger the health of the neighborhood 1t
is not only bad state of affairs for those
whose duty compels their attendance there.
but how much more dreadful it IS when
relatives or friends are compelled to visit
the morgue under such conditions. Often
l have seen them completely Frustrated.
Some of the Difficulties.
Because Of these conditions, We are often
compelled. out of sympathy for relatives
and friends. to make autopsies at the resi-
dence of the dead person, and that, you
know, is Very narrowing to their feelings,
although the law requires 1t to be done
Then, too or the coroner is compelled to
travel several miles to inspect bodies which.
had we a modernly- equipped morgue couId
be obviated. Why, do not believe the con-
ditinns are any worse in Cuba than thew
are here, as respects the handling of bodies
coming under the jurisdiction of the cor
oner.
Now, if Congress gives us this appro-
priatfon of $500 we can convert the en-
CINE house on d street into a morgue
with that sum we can make the new
morgue an absolutely healthy and sanitary
one We could then have the benefit of
some modern method for freezing or cool
ing bodies, so that they could be preserved
for an indefinite period. as long as neces-
sary. for the purpose of Identification and
medical examination something which we
cannot do at present. Instead of having, as
now, but one miserable ice box for such
purpose. we could have twenty at least
Then we could have lockers or compart-
fc IN hn1,t
effects Of the dead brought there This at
times is of very great value. especially in
cases Of murder homicide 1t is often
very important that bodies brought to the
ing buried, and with the new morgue we
would have every facility for doing that.
1t is impossible now.
Advantages Desired.
when the new morgue is placed In OBJ
Grafton we would have a keeper constantly
On duty. day and night ready to answer
every call, and then bodies would not lie
In place for hours, they have done in
the past, awaiting some proper person to
call for them and take them to the morgue
We would also have an office for the cor
cner. where he could keep his records, and
also comfortable and commodious room
for holding fnquests in central portion
of the city. The physician making the an
topsy would also have large, well-light-
ed and modernly equipped room In which
to work. free from the horrible conditions
which now prevail. He would also be able
to invite other physicians to witness the
making of the autopsy, and where one is
charged with the death of the subject it is
often very important that he should be rep
resented at the autopsy by a physician of
his own selection.
Relatives or friends. and indeed. the
general public. whose duty required their
presence at the new morgue would not be
Mortified by conditions which now prevail
Indeed, could mention many more desir-
able features which the new morgue will
give us If we get it, but ! am sure that no
one questions the abseo6ote- and imperative
necessity for the proposed Improvement.
and 1 feel that now, after many years OF
earnest effort on the part of the Commits
sioners and of the coroner and the health
officer, we are about to get what we have