[243] I believe it was Lord Shaftesbury whose remark on this point was, “What would have become of the blessed martyrs, if destruction by fire was to annul their chances of resurrection?” [244] The metropolis alone has in addition to the numerous burying grounds near its parish churches, &c. (many of which have been, however, dug up and destroyed), the average of which it would be difficult to determine, the following cemeteries, which may be called extra mural: Woking Cemetery 500 acres Ilford and Leytonstone Cemetery 168 „ Norwood and Nunhead Cemetery 40 „ Highgate Cemetery 40 „ West London at Brompton 40 „ Abney Park Cemetery 32 „ Kensal Green Cemetery 18 „ Victoria Cemetery ---- Tower Hamlets Cemetery ---- Colney Hatch Cemetery ---- CHAPTER XXXI. MORTUARIES. As the Public Health Act 1875 contains several clauses bearing upon mortuaries, a few words upon this subject will not be altogether inappropriate. The great and terrible evils arising from the practice of keeping corpses in inhabited rooms by the poorer classes were pointed out by Mr. Chadwick in the year 1843[245] and the following clauses upon this subject and the necessity imposed upon the local authority to provide proper mortuaries are contained in the Public Health Act 1875: “Any local authority may, and if required by the Local Government Board shall provide and fit up a proper place for the reception of dead bodies before interment (in this Act called a mortuary), and may make bye-laws with respect to the management and charges for use of the same; they may also provide for the decent and economical interment, at charges to be fixed by such bye-laws, of any dead body which may be received into a mortuary (38 & 39 Vic. c. 55, s. 141). “Where the body of one who has died of any infectious disease is retained in a room in which persons live or sleep, or any dead body which is in such a state as to endanger the health of the inmates of the same house or room is retained in such house or room, any justice may, on a certificate signed by a legally qualified medical practitioner, order the body to be removed, at the cost of the local authority, to any mortuary provided by such authority, and direct the same to be buried within a time to be limited in such order; and unless the friends or relations of the deceased undertake to bury the body within the time so limited, and do bury the same, it shall be the duty of the relieving officer to bury such body at the expense of the poor rate, but any expense so incurred may be recovered by the relieving officer in a summary manner from any person legally liable to pay the expense of such burial. “Any person obstructing the execution of an order made by a justice under this section shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding five pounds” (38 & 39 Vic. c. 55, s. 142).