New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-17


Harss Journal BIS recently gone the round Of the
Press, which, under ,he nte Of Singular Circum-
stance" describes some unusual appearances on the
face Of corpse, during the performance Of the
funeral ceremonies. IL states that hasA Of erin-
son overspread the cadsverous features, while the
forehead became moist with What seemed TO BE- per-
spiration. The proceedings were Suspended 10
await an examination oyIwo Physicians, on whose
report the body was subsequently consigned to
earth.
II is not nay intention % question the verde, of IN.
medical gentlemen in this particular instance mos,
likely 1t was perfectly sound one--,hat Ia 10 say.
the BODY Vhsn fAsy sraniHsf IL, may have been hfe-
less but the previous appearances recall % many
well authenticated ssorie, OF premature intsi nen..
owing so state OF trance having besa mistaken for
death, that word or two on the sahjecs generally
may not be considered inappropriate.
While contemplating this le,,er,u E>sins psr-
asraph In The Tfisasas Of tho lcsa Fessas,s lying
at hand, caught my eye
1.-THE Courier dAt relates ths, s-~. ~ the hodx
OF the wife OF a gipsey named Piassxp w., ssins ia
tered In the cemetery m that city, - sears
70 proceed from the coma. wn1chv Ieiy
opened After some resIoT atlves haD mis-
tered TO the supposed dead woman, 80 !. - sccoy-
cred sufficiently to return to her hon
The foregoing will be recognized . OF. one Of
many like accounts which appear fro.. :. line,
excite vague wonder. perhaps, and are ,hen quiz
city referred to the chapter OF inscsutase events,
which suggest no caution, and afford no instruction.
Few, indeed, on. Of the pale OF the medical pro-
fesson, know anything of the state OF "hance' ex-
cept its name and IN intimste acquaintance with
its phenomena and predlsposing causes 10 by no
means, IL we may credit an eminent medical au-
thority, common in the profession itself. When,
therefore, instances like the above quoted one are
narrated, it seldom ours 10 any 10 consider the
possibility that he or his friends may in their own
persons furnish materials for new tale of wonder.
DR.. Herbert Mayo, an eminent English physician.
in work On the Truths contained IN Popular Super
stitens," gives very clear account Of the various
known forms of trance, and of the causes which
produce them. or that form which chieG, concerns
the purpose Of this letter, he says;
"Death-trance is the image Of death-.he heart
does not beat the breathing Is suspended the body
10 m0tionless NOT the slightest outward sign ofsens
bility consciousness eau be detected the tempera
ture OF the body falls the enranced person has the
appearance Of corpse, from which life has recently
departed. The Joints commonly relaxed, and
the whole frame psble; but it 10 also likely that
spasmodc rigidiy will form an occasional adjunct Of
this strange condition, so that the only means Of
knowing whether life DO sun present, is to wait the
event"
Instances OF premature burial are given in another
part of DR.. Msyo's book, where he discusses the
superstition called "vsmpyrism," once prevalent
throughout Europe and still surviving In the Eastern
parts OF that continent. The Vampire" was Q
corpse, which retaining unnatural vitality, pre-
served itself from decomposition by sucking the
blood Of the living for which purpose 1t nightly for
sock its grave.
The fears engendered by this horrible belief led,
during the Seventeenth and early Ia the Eighteenth
Centuries to frequent examinations burial grounds
BY the local authorities and The records OF these IN
vestgations, which were once thought to confirm
the prevailing superstition beyond doubt, have now
a melancholy significance for the moro enlightened
inquirer who in the bodies found ia the vampire
state" after being under ground for periods varying
rom several days TO several weeks, or months, re-
cosnizss but few OF an untold number Of victims of
ignorance who have been buried alive. In some in
stances the corpse has been found to have changed
its position in Others singular absence Of signs OF
decomposition has been observed, in connection
with flushing OF the cheeks, In others, again, mo-
ton has been clearly perceived. But the popular
feeling at the period referred to regarded such signs
with adherence, and means were promptly used
tsuch Is dccapitation) to render the VAMPIRE
harmless before restoring him TO the earth. DR.
Mayo observes that thu danger OF being buried alive
is comparatively less in England, where the mode
of proceeding is deliberate than on the CONT
nent, where but short interval il allowed between
death and burial.
"Smll," he says, "society is not sufficiently on
its guard against contingency so dreadful" And
again When the nurse or the doctor has an
nounced that all Is oyer-that the valued friend or
relative has breathed his last, no doubt any
ones mind Of the reality Of the sad event"
The laiiy, II not the doctors too constantly lose
sight OF tho fact that there exists alternative TO
the fatal event OF ordinary disease that patient
liable at any period OF illness to dsviate, or, asst
naV M fhAr and daAA
stead Of death TO eaceratr apparent death"
When the possibility Is fairly considered, few will
feel inclined to question the soundness Of Dr. Msyos
advice. The body" he observes, 4" should be kept
in warm room, for the double purpose Of promot-
ing decomposition, II 1t oe Dead and Of preserving
constantly watched There OF course" he adds,
" many cases in which such care Is positively I'M
necessary. Such, for instance, as dehth following
great Lessons Of vital organs, and in the great major
iy OF of seeming death, the bare possibility Of
the persistence OF HE hardly remains. Still 1t Is
better 10 err on the night side"
Many years ago, the father OF the writer, re-
covering from attack Of yellow fever at sarinsm,
fell into trance, such as Dr. Mayo has described,
and lay for ten days without any external signof
life, but not withcm conssiolsnsss lie was laid out
for burial soon after this state supsvened and ""
only saved from most horrible fate, BY the csution
or affection of attendant, who pleaded for delay
until decomposition should set in He himself over
heard part OF the conversation which was to deter
mine his fate while wholly incapable OF manifsstins
any sign of vitality and in after years could never
alluds 70 the subject without emotion.
Nwould be easy to multiply examples, but the
foregoing may suffice to awaken wholesome atten
ton TO q subject which nearly concerns all. nw.H
T The Grand Jury Of Schuylkill Coun-
~, Penn have made prssen.ment, ia which they
say that IN Pottsviile alone there are about s'gar
beer and ale houses, a great many OF which are ..
..;..n..,o. o.. commun;tx They further say that