Woman Sent to the Mortuary when Still Alive: An Unchecked Certificate Zai Sawdu, a woman who was knocked down by a car, taken to hospital, then sent to the Public Mortuary as dead, and subsequently found to be alive, succumbed to her injuries late the 2nd instant. At the inquest last Friday severe comments were made by Mr. C. E. Whitamore (who sat with Magistrate Tsang) on the conduct of the Paulun Hospital, which the Assessor characterized as perfectly appalling. and asked how many people in Shanghai might have been buried ally A brother-in-law said the deceased was carrying a child which she saved from her own fate by throwing it on to the mudguard, where it remained.
The chauffeur gave evidence as to having driven cars for six years. He did his best to pull up in time.
Dr. Tsang Pau-suh, to whom the deceased was taken at the Paulun Hospital, described her condition at that time as very serious. She was bleeding from the cars and mouth. and her pulse was very slow. Ho told the Chinesw -pelice. constable that there was no room. for her at hospital and she must be sent immediately to another hospital He said he would take her to the station, and witness did not know whether she afterwards was sent to the Public Mortuary or not.
Witness denied having issued the certificate of death. He said Mr. Stey, a German, did so. Witness naver thought that the woman was dead, and never gave Mr. Stey to understand that she was. Stey was not a doctor, but the supervisor of the hospital. Witness admitted he did not sce the certificate made out by the supervisor. but ordinarily he saw such certificates. He had practised medicine for one year and grad-nated at the Dong Chu College.
In answer to the Assessor, witness denied that he ever said that the woman might die within 30 minutes. He agreed that deceased might have recovered.
"This kind, of thing is perfectly opalling," said Mr. Whitamore before giving the verdict. How many persons may have been buried alive? The doctor himself says that the woman might have recovered. By-sending her to the Public Mortuary he had issued not so much a death certificate, but a death warrant. He should have examined the death certificate. This is an appalling and disgraceful state of affairs. If Stey is not qualified to sign these documents. I think something should be done about it." 2 The verdict was that deceased came to her death by being struck and knocked down by motor-car No. 3263, removed to the Paulun Hospital, 23 Burkill Road, de-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.