In case of the death of a patient absent from a retreat under licence, a statement of the cause of his death, with the name of any person present at the death, shall be drawn up and signed by a duly qualified medical practitioner, and copies thereof, duly certified in writing by the person in whose charge the patient had been placed, shall be by him transmitted to the coroner and to the registrar of deaths for the district, and to the clerk of the local authority, and to the person by whom the last payment was made for the deceased, or to one, at least, of the persons who signed the statutory declaration under section ten of the Habitual Drunkards Act, 1879.

If the person in charge of the patient fails to comply with the requirements of this section, he shall be guilty of an offence against the Habitual Drunkards Act, 1879.