FIFTH REPORT - 1835 . 
254 
vidual must be recorded; and these are points on which accu¬ 
rate information may in almost in every case be easily obtained 
without the instrumentality of any other agents than those al¬ 
ready contemplated in both Bills. 
Again, it is of the utmost importance to have as accurate in¬ 
formation as can be obtained as to the causes of death ; and 
although there may, for a long time to come, be a deficiency of 
precision in the statements of that kind which may be procured, 
yet it will certainly be right to have a column (as directed in the 
Scotch Bill), and even to divide this into two compartments, for 
this purpose. On one important point information may always 
be had, viz. as to whether the fatal disease was acute or chronic, 
by an answer being required to the query, whether the deceased 
was ill, and disabled for his ordinary occupation, for less or 
more than six weeks (or 40 days) before death. What occurs 
to the Sub-committee as the best expedient for obtaining further 
information, is, that the Bill should contain a clause directing 
the names of diseases to be entered according to regulations to 
be subsequently issued by the Secretary of State for the Home 
Department. The substance of these regulations the Sub-com¬ 
mittee think should be as follows : 
A list of diseases should be furnished to each keeper of regi¬ 
sters, and he should be directed to inquire of each person regi¬ 
stering a death, whether he can state, on the authority of a medi¬ 
cal practitioner, that any one of the diseases in that list was the 
cause of death ; if so, that name is to be entered under the head 
of acute or chronic disease according to the rule already stated. 
If no medical authority can be given for the name of the disease, 
the keeper of the register should be directed to inquire whether 
any prevalent epidemic was the cause of death ; and if not, 
whether the part of the body chiefly affected in the disease of 
which the person died was the head , as in apoplexy, palsy, 
convulsion; or the chest , as in inflammation, or consumption, of 
the lungs, asthma, dropsy with difficult breathing, &c. ; or the 
lower bowels , as in inflamed bowels, dropsy of the belly, flux, 
jaundice; or the external parts, as in diseases of the joints, limbs, 
or surface of the body. The cause of death is then to be entered 
as disease of the head , chest , lower bowels , limbs , or surface of 
the body; and under the head of acute or chronic disease ac¬ 
cording to the rule above stated. By means of such regulations, 
duly enforced throughout the kingdom, the Sub-committee 
think that such information may be recorded as, if thrown by 
future inquiries into the form of Tables, may very greatly eluci¬ 
date the causes, and the means of prevention, at least of the 
most important diseases ; and this by means of the same agents 
