Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-01-05

TWO REClSTRA.
TION DISTRICTS

The new Act to provide for immedi-
ate registration of all births and
deaths, which affects every commun
ty, at the Hospital for the Insane
where deaths and removals are likely
to be of daily occurrence causes some-
thing akin to revolution in methods.
Under the law formerly in force w.
H. Orth, Chief Clerk, held the posi-
tion of Deputy Inspector under the
State Board of Health and was en-
powered to issue burial and removal
permits, which rendered it very con-
venient. Whether under the new law
registrar can be appointed whose
jurisdiction shall begin and end with
an institution like the Hospital or
whether all business relating to burial
or removal permits will have to be
transacted with the registrar whose
district embraces the Hospital is a
matter on which full information has
not been obtained.
In the first place let it be stated that
the Hospital for the Insane with its
population of some 1900 persons -is a
community in itself-indeed, it might
be added an afflicted community, in
which the death rate runs high.
Some inquiries were made along this
line yesterday when it was learned
that death may occur each day for
several days in succession, although it
was thought that one death a week at
the Hospital might be a pretty fair
average for the year around. Conven-
ience, therefore, in such matters as
burial and removal permits count for
great deal.
The above suggests sc-ne very inter
esting facts concerning the disposition
of the dead at the Hospital. in gen
eral way of the half hundred or 30
of unfortunates who each year end
their dreary and troublous careers at
the Hospital for the Insane nearly all
are shipped away from the institution
to points designated by relatives, who
make themselves responsible for the
burial.
In very many instances the relatives
are found only after long and vigor-
Gus search carried on over a wide ter
ritory. Not unfrequently those who
should be near and dear to the deceas-
ed endeavor to keep in the dark and
when run down resort to many sub
terfuges to avoid taking care of the
remains. A rather common trick is
to permit the remains to lie at the
Hospital until, as these people view
it, decomposition must have far ad-
vanced, when they think the body will
have to be buried on the Hospital
ground. Such people deceive them
selves very much; after q reasonable
interval they are very emphatically in
formed by the Hospital authorities
that unless the body is forthwith tax
en- away, under the law it will be ship
ped to Philadelphia where it will find
its way to the dissecting table,
Such information generally has the
desired effect. The relatives and
friends do thier duty in the premises
and the body is removed. The Hospit-
al authorities are very persistent and
leave no stone unturned to find the
relatives. AS a result not more than
three or four bodies during the year
find their way from the Hospital to
Philadelphia medical colleges. 1t is
also true that very inconsiderable
number of bodies from the Hospital
are inferred in the little cemetery on
the grounds, the number being limit
ed to those that figure in extreme cases
in which decomposition unexpectedly
sets in, before they can be shipped
either to the relatives or to the medi
cal colleges.
There is an odd case at the Hospital
at present, in which poor unfortunate
who is in possession of enough means
to bury him decently, will probably
have to go to the dissecting table. The
man died few days ago An effort
to find relatives or at least any capable
of bearing the expense of burying him
proved fruitless. The overseers of the
poor in the district to which he be-
longs refuse to use the money in his
possession to provide decent burial,
but want to apply it to reimburse the
poor district on which the patient is a
charge. They even put in claim for
a gold watch, which belonged to the
unfortunate man. This is the status of
the case at present. Whether the Poor
Board can be induced to relent and
pursue more humane course remains
to be seen.