The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-17 00:00:00

INTRAMURAL BURIALS.

The Board of Health hay issued the following
*tries of orders:

1. That the whole surface of the said burial ground (en.
cepting such parts thereof as are now used tor tootp.4ll-, or
are now coveted with flat stones) shall be forthwith eine rzi
with Quick lime, of as uniform thickness of three lathes at
the least.
2. That when any portion of the said lime shall be re-
moved for the purpose of making or digging any grave in
the sail burial ground, or for any other purp,se, such lime
shell be immtdiat ly replaced after the filling up of es grave,
or the completion of such norm., and a sufficient quantity
of gales lime shall be provided, and from time to time shall
be applied so as to keep the whole of the &aid burying ground
(except the parts above excepted) covered therewith to the
thickness of three inches as aforesaid.
3. That every grave which shell be made or dui in the
said burial ground shall be covered at the bottom thereof
with quick lime of on uriform trackage of three inches of
the least, upon which covering of lime the coffin containing
the corpse, which shall be buried or depoeited in such grave,
shall be placed.
4 That not more than one corpse shall he buriel or de-
posited in any grave, and every grave in which any corpse
shall be buried or deposited shall be filled up to the level of
the ordinary surface of the said burial-ground immediately
upon the corpse being buried or depositel therein, and no
further burial shall take place in the same geese, not shall
any other corpse be deposited therein.
6. That no cerpee shall be buried or deposited in any
grave in the said burial-ground at a less distance than two
feet and six niche s from any other grave, such distance to be
computed from that part of the coffin containing such corpse
which is nearest to such other grave.
6. That no cerise ,ball be buried or deposited in Roy
grave in the said burial-ground in which, after the buriJl or
deposit thereof, there shall not be at least five feet of esrth
remaining between the ordinary surface of the acid burial
ground and the upper put of the coffin in which such corpse
shall be contained.
7. Provided always, that the fnregoing eirectione and
regulations which are respectively numbered 3,4, 5, and 6,
shell not apply to burials in stone sr brick graves, vaults, or
catacomb*.
8. Teat no corpse shall be deposited in any stone or brick
grave, vault, or catacomb, in the said burial ground, or in
any vault or receptacle connected therewith, unless such
shall be enclosed in a coffin made of, or lined with
1731:f the weight of at least tie pounds to every ruperficivl
square foot, and of the thicknese throughoue of one-tenth Si
an inch, nor unless such coffin or lining be soldered up, or
otherwisesecured so as to be perfectly air-tight.
9. That if is making i r digging any grave in the said
burial ground, or in opening any part of the said burial
ground for any purpose whatever. any Lumen bone, or other
put of a human holy, or any coffin or portion of a coffin,
shall he found, or become visible the earth that shall have
been disturbed by such making, digging, or opening shall be
forthwith filled in and covered with quick lime to the depth
of at least three inches, in addition to the uniform thickness
of lime with which the surface of the said burial ground Is
ban kbefere ordered to be enured.
10. 'Chat no grave shall be made or dug, nor shall the
ground, for any purpose or upon say pretence, be opened in
any partor, the said burial ground wise.. a corpse nas been
buried or deposited within ten years now last past.
These instructions are addressed, in last night's Gazette,
to the churchwardens of St. Saviour's, Southwark ; rte
churchwardens of St. Olive, Southwark ; of St. George the
Martyr, Surrey ; St. James's, Clerkenwell; St. J ehu"e,
Clerkenwell LIU. Paul's, Covent-garden ; Bt. Mar., New
ingtou; St. b'les's-inthe-Plelds ; and St. Muting e-tht-
Flel4e. Alio, to the =fingers of Tottenham court-read
Chapel, Banhill-fields butithground, Collier's-rents burial-
!e.
cund, Sonthwark ; St. Tnomis s burial-ground, Golden.

MEETING OF THE METROPOLITAN SOCIETY.
Yesterday afternoon, a very fall meeting of the
National Society for the Abolition of Burial in Towns"
was held at the Society's rooms, Bridge street, Bluk'riars,
Mr. G. A. WALKER in the chair. Sir C. Aldis, Dr. John-
son, Beau, and Rogers, Mews. Kingsford, Feltoe,
&co, were present.
Mr. TRUER read the minutes of the preceding meeting,
which were confirmed, and also several communication from
different parts cf the United Kingdom, approving of tne
object of the Society, which were entered upon the
emotes. One of the communications was from Mr.
of St. Michael's Bastishaw, City, praying the Society to aid
the inhabitants in their efforts to clew the graveyard there.
The CHAIRMAN begged to assure the meeting, that in
Ireland the same abominations occurred. A correspondent
from Limerick gave • horrifying description of Killerby
churchyard. It was impossible to put down such fearful
atrocities saw government, by • sompreltensive legislative
measure, waded intramural burials, and had the dead re-
moved by rail and river a distance from the habitation of
the Behar. (Hear, hear.) After years of consideration and
labour devoted to the subject, that was his cool and firm
calve/dos. Indeed, be might add that a similar opinion
was eatartabiod by every man swims for the sanitary con-
dition of the tieing, and for securing that respect to the dead
to which they were entitled.
Sir C. ALDIS fully agreed with their president, and
although having so objection to the proposal made to deo-
dorise churchyards, still he was convinced that nothing
short of the total abolition of burials in the midst of the
living would save the later from the pestilential
effects of churchyard exhalation. (Hear, hear.) He
bad lately Wised Bt. Andrew's-churchyard, Holborn,
and there hand that the graves had been raised considerably
above the original surface of the ground, that the fluid eor-
ruptioa from the dad penetrated through the very walls
that encircled the churchyard, and that it emitted a most
dreedfel smell.
Mr. J. ROGERS, surgeon, proclaimed himself the deter
mined ugoompromisini opponent of burials in or near the
habitations of the tient He would war against the odious
and deadly system until it was completely put down. He
feared much, that certain parties holding official situations
had not that regard for the public health that they
should evince. -Two years ego the }teeth of Towns
lesoidation, which comprised reeton, bishops, a few use Mad
men, and engineers, declared to him that they would not co-
operate with any society that made the suppression of intra-
mural burials a principal measure for securing the public
health. The moment they made the avowal, he resolved to
introduce the subject at every meeting the anociatiou held,
and which he did with success. (Hear, hear.) As
a medical man, he (Mr. Rogers) declared that so
long as burials took place in cities and towns,
no sanitary measure could secure the public health. (Hear,
hear.) Mr. Rogers gave a frightful description of the
graveyards of London, aid concluded with a strong appal
to the ankity, calling upon them to persevere in their hu-
mane exertions until they achieved their object.
Mr. COLLINS, of Band, stated, on the authority of
medical men and from his own knowledge, that in that city
graveyards generated cholera, and that where those hotbeds
of fever and cholera existed, there mortality most pre-
vailed. He was, however, pleased in being enabled to state
that the inhabitance of the city very generally expressed
themselves deeply indebted to Mr. Walker for his tip guru
of the dangerous consequences of °engorged churchyards
near human habitations, and were rewired to act upon the
society's suggestions and bury their dead beyond the Bity
walls. (Hear, hear.) He assured the meeting that with
the closing of graveyards cholera and fever gradually disap-
peared.
TEO CHAIRMAN mid that the Hon. Mr. Berkeley, M.P.,
had stated in the House of Commons that in Bristol the fiat
cases of cholera appeared on the verge of the R nity itrre-
yard. He (the chairman) again impressed up e secte'y
the absolute necessity that existed for a grand comprehensive
scheme for extramural burial. As to dotting the suburbs of