The Press.
London, England, 1853-10-01 00:00:00

re,rretted.

Two reasons of any substantial account have alontr been
offered for the practice of delaying inlet ments beyond a
few hours after death. one or these is founded on the
necessity of allowing a sufficient interval for the arrival
(tutu a distance of friends aho may wish to attend the
funeral ceremonies. 'the other rests upon the apprelien•
sion, should the intenneut be hurried, that a living body,
in which animation is tor.ly suspended, might pereinuice be
honied in mistake for a corpse. I:ailroails hose rendered
the first of these reasons obsolete. Medival testimony
proves that the second is baseless. Mr. Simon states that
in his own extensive experience he hits never witnessed a
single instance of suspended animation where any doubts
of death, or questions respecting interment, could possibly
arise ; nor has he, in professional circles, ever heard of
such. Evidence tothe mime effect,founded on awider range

of trials, is given by a high authority, from the faeoi weer

tained respecting the •• receiving•honse •• for the deiwl in
Frankfort• Especially to gnarl spinet the possibility of

burying a body still endowed with vitality. very elabesttn
precautions are taken in this institution against such a con-
t ingaucy. Thebodiesataplacedseparately in eeUs. warmed.
►ventilated, anti watched ; coma are attached to the Angers
in such a manner that the slightest movemin►t would
sound an Minim end simnel% issistanee. Vet Dr. Sutber.
land asserts that neither in Frankfort nor in other cities
where similar cnntrivanees are used could he learn that
any ease of resuscitation had ever occurred.
Among the wealthier classes this postponement of burial
may be comparatively harmless. Ample space, well-
closed coffins, and rooms set apa►t for the deceased, will
prevent the inmates of a rich man's house from suffering
any inconveniences, even though the interval should he
somewhat pnvlon+ted before their deal ore buried out of
their sight. With the poorer classes the case is far other.
►rise. Mr. Simon does not venture to calculate the average
number of instances in which " tho sides of a wooden
(soffits, often imperfeetly joined, are all that divide that
Jecoinpostition of the dead from the respiration of the
living. A room umlauted night and day by the family of
a►otirwrt likewise contains the remains of the dead. Ft►
some days the coffin is unclosed. The bare corpse lie
there amid the living, beside them in their sleep, bigot
then► at their meals. Summer or winter makes little
difference to this deteution ; nor is there sufficient know•
'edge on the subject among the poorer population for alarm
to be excited, even by the concurrence of infections disease
in a room so hurtfully occupied." Its fears, however, that
the ease i curs only too frequently, and leaves behind it a
legacy of disease and &nth among the asststanta. Hut,
ati we said before, he will nut attempt to arrest the evU by
444inptilsory measures, although such are put into his hands
by the ltenith of 'roans or Nuisances Removal Acts. He
seeks to Mauve, end not to force, obedience to the dictates of
commove sense and self preservation. For this purpose he
tiro, the plower of eitimple--exhorting the rich to
sacrifice a sentiment which in their ease may probably Ito
gratified without danger. for the sake of fellow•citizens.
slut so eonstiently follow the lead set them by their•
superiors in station, withmit c.otsideritio the difference of
eiretimmtstiers, or the dstigerons consequences which must
inevitably follow. Seeondly, Mr. Simon proposes, ma a
It gitimete indueement fur prompt interment, that the
burial fee charged by the Potted eliouhl in till eases Is.
increased, say by :is. or Ills., if the (vivo y d/•layrd
for Mon, then a certain number of hours alter death.
Against smell is fair ease the poorest can have no just elms',
of complaint, since it would be altogether voluntary in
character.

Thirdly, he surzgents that, as much delay arisen from the
ciremitstanee that Sunday is specially considered by the
artisan classes as the "burial tiny," it tun; prove advisable
to pnohibit interuu•utn altogether on that day, so as 11/
dixhibute them iutpartially o%er the seek, and upland the
probability of hastening, perhaps by several days, the
period when the lifeless body in vousigned to the earth.
liv way of collateral arranwinutit, for the same• per*•
mount object, it is proposed that a recciving•house sl Id
be established within the precitieln of the cemetery, %hither
the corpse might lie conveyed at the earlie.t peri,sl Mier
death, awl kept still s kith. the reach of mourning rely•
Liven, while removed from hurtful proximity to yet liviug
beings.

Such is the scheme of e‘traitioiral interment outlined by
the City Officer of Health. The e‘tent to which he liar
carried it issoN but small yetis irt ion to the necessities of
the whole metropolitan population. Ilia offielul function.
indeed, limited Mr. Si 1111 l to the consideration merely of
the requirementa arising in the City proper; and his eion •
putatious tiro neconlingly made npon the basis of pmviiiiie;
.iuly for about three thonsatill out of the forty or fifty
thousand interments atitoutily (transited from among the
twa and a half million inhabitants of Liostion in itsentinsty.
size, lii,aeltx, has Intl(' to do with the feasibility of lib.
plan. Multiplied ten or twenty fold in arra, and provideil
with accessory arrangements on a scale of enrreKiNdiiiiiis
magnitude, the e‘trunitiral cemetery bete design..l will
new, as well for the whole rnetropolis as fur that hive
fmnth part which is ilignitied with the name of tie.

'fur Fair Nos tiv fliturt r held a publii• meeting
on Thursday evening. at erosby hell, 111,1topsigate-
Kt rect. The expressed object s:is the protaiition of
Christianity in the East by thii extension of thu
power of the Creek races. Nearly loopersons went
assembled on the occasion, of whom tnore than one-
half appeared to be foreigners. The Earl of hating.
ton, who had beet, lashed to pri -iile, and several
other influential individuals whose pr. `once hail been
solicited, had declined to attend on the ground that,
by accepting the invitation forv.artle,l to than. it
might ho supposed that they were favourable loth..
Russian projects in the East.
Loan PAI.XERSToN returned to London from Scot.
land on Wodnestlay evening.

M

.

■

519 r4,-4

The abdition el) the Duty on .4•11.4 distorts!. enables us to
imps at the price if Three Shillings Me Adeettio inentA
for ybieh ti r hare hitherto elide:led Fire ; and Adrer-
teursienerally u,U rereire the lull benefit of the change
in MAI".

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

to atclumnledge U., 111111111 of letters we receive.
ion is often delayed, owing to a grew ot• lo.itter ;
ton ouuttcd, It in frequently from Ts anima quite inde-
rtlent of the meritn of the
undertalot 1.0 ri;turn
1244 Milt! uw a Ives.
eemmunications should tilwart be legibly written, and on one
mide of the pumper only. If long it inei eases th.• difficulty of
finding Nimes fur them.
Whatever is intended for insertion must he authenticated by the
name and address of tho writer, not neeetuntrily for publics•
tion, but an a guarantee of his good faith.

of which we do