Some Cases of Interest in the Coroner's Court

Ir has always seemed to me matter for regret that much of the material so rich in pathological and medico-legal interest which is available in the London coroners' courts is for all practical purposes lost. It is true that the cases are recorded, and that those records are preserved, but they are not readily available except after a lengthy and troublesome search which would involve much time and labour, and the great majority of cases which obtain publicity are selected more with the object of amusing a sensation-loving public rather than from their intrinsic interest or importance. London coroners are, for the most part, busy and hard-worked people who have not the time to undertake extra work of this kind, and, moreover, many cases, while they begin, do not end in coroners' courts, and it is obviously inexpedient, and indeed improper, to deal with them except officially. But there are cases which do not come within this category, and it has always been my own practice to take private notes of those cases which presented unusual features of interest in the hope that some day a sufficient number of them might be of interest to a Society such as this. I have from this number selected a few, which from their unusual character seemed worthy of being brought to your notice.