The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-03-20

aud his friends had been more than once con-
Ncned for his funeral, is well known fact
Even his own brother was so convinced that
lie was dead, that he became impatient nj
what he thought the folly ofthe physician in
his pGrtinucions attempts 10 restore animation.
BE not husty in Judging persons to be dead,
do nor bury them until il is absolutely certain
l!nl life is extinct. And tthcre is II shade Of
suspicion that they are not actually dead, do
NOT cXtinguish possible life Ivy treatment
which must almost necessarily prevent the
resumption ofthe vital functions.
A gentleman whom knew was one morn
ing lonnd Iiieless in his bed. But until the
following day, when so marked change
took plnce in his appearance us to Danish all
doubt, his daughter and her family kept con-
rinuuI watch in his room, with rcstorHtlVeS nj
hand. frequently using cndenvors to produce
reaninnton. Such precautions would doubt
less restore not n few who are consigned 10
The grave.
The following account Of II practice which
10 some extent obtains in Germany, may iur-
lis useful hints IN this country.
lin order to guard against premature inter-
ments there is attached to most ot'lhe Gene
taries in Germany, hail, where the dead re-
2ain some time before committing Them to
the ground. In this hall, the body, neatly at
1red. is laid upon couch-beforc the lips is
uIaced mirror which the slightest breath
would cloud, and between the fingers string
which ON The slightest movement, causes
bell in the department ofthe keeper TO ring.
= his hall, is visited night and day, hourly, by
,vigiIunt nspe ctors, anil IL is St0tcd that mol Il
yeoo passes that The bell is notr1rng by one Of Me
,aagDOsed corpSeS Similar precautions should
,',G adopted in every burial place in America.
ludiSputabe facts concIusivcly indicate their
uRcGSSity.'
"In France" suys foreign journal, "the
number of living interments that have been
interrupted by accidental circumstances,
since 1888, amounts to nineiy-iow. Ninety
four nttested cases, in which the living have
narrowly escaped being laid amongst the
dead. Ofthese thirty-ive persons recovered
spontaneously from their le'hargy, at the mo-
jn2nt when the funeral ceremonies were IL
bout to take place; l3 were aroused under the
stimulus Of the busy love and grief about
them; seven by the fall Of the coffin which
enclosed them; nine 10y tie prlcklng OF their
flesh in sewing up the shroud; five 10y the
sense of sutfocatlon in their cot1ins; nineteen
by accidental delays which occurred in the
interment; (how significant is this lcnr) and
six by voluntary delays suggested by doubts
as to the death. These, then, are they who
llavc escaped. Now think Of the whole uu-
merous family oftrauces and epilepSes, aud
remember that the population Of France nre
ilabltually huddled into heir narrow homes
within tour-and-twenty, or at most,e ght-and-
forty hours after death, and then calculate, if
.You dare. The numbers whom no such inter
vcuing angel came to rescue from this ncon-
.Gvabc horror On that head the statistics,
ofcouNe, are sient-bnt suggestive. Ofull
but these uinety- four, the grave keeps the Sc
4'ret. Bnt remember that Of all vino, since
1893, were about TO be buried alive, these are
the favored Of accident.
"In England no man is laid in the grave till
signs have set in of CORFU Ution."