Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-09-02

body, after hanging, would be given for dissec.
ton, SAID Thank you, my lord it is well
you cannot dissect my SOUL" We look upward,
when we stand beside the grave
The surgeon replies to those who regard Gre
nation as heather custom, it is not more
heathen than burying in holes Sprinkling
earth on the coffin is heather custom, based
upon heathen superstition, but converted to
Christian use. He gives interesting iustra
tlons of the use of urn-burial by many nations,
but reminds us that the cost of fuel was one
obstacle to its general adoption in old time
Ground was to be had more cheaply than the
materials necessary for the humblest burning.
when it was requisite to burn on large piles in
the open air. "The Christians. however"
says Sir Thomas Browne "abhorred this wav
of obSeques and, though they hesitated not
to give their bodies to be burnt in their lives,
deteSted that mode after DEATH" But what,
ever reasons Christians had in the first DAYS of
Christianity against the burning of their bodies.
they have left behind them no objection found
ed on permanent religious principles We now
bury IN graves, and build funeral urus in stone
as emblems.
The report of the French Academy of Medi-
cine, upon the effect of cemeteries on the health
OF Paris, has led France to the bestowiug of
much serious attention on the subject of Gre
nation and there is sober discussion of the
plan of NJ Bonneau, who proposes to replace
all cemeteries near great cities, by building
called SarcophaguS. "Thther the corpse of
both rich and poor should be conveyed, and
laid on a metallic tablet, which, sliding by an
instantaneous movement into concealed fur
mace, would canSe the body to be consumed in
the space of few moments Like a true
Frenchman, he urges the bearing of his plan
on the interests of art, q" for who would wish
to preserve the ashes of ancestors ," The fun
eral urn may soon replace on our conSoIS and
mantlepieces, the ornaments Of bronze clocks
and china vases found there "This may seem
misplaced pleasantly to English minds" says
the Edinburg Medical J0urnqi but we can
not help being startled at reading the sanitary
report leading to it."
The surgeon then dwells briefly upon the
valid objection to the burning of the dead. 1t
destroys evidence in case of secret murder
Now, the dead speak under the spells of the
chemist. If cremation be adopted, greater &C.
curacy in the registration and closer scrutiny
into each doubtful case of death will be insper-
atively called for While we write this, a man
lies sentenced to death against whom the con-
demning witReSs was the diSinterred corpse Of
his mother
The surgeon in his next chapter shows what
the pollution of graveyard is. Over this fa-
mliar ground we do-nOt follow him, except to
take up the testimony Of the French Academy
of Medicine, that no matter from what quarter
the wind blows, it must bring over Paris pu-
trid emanations of Pere la ChaiSe, Montmar-
tire, or Montparnasse, aud the very water which
we drink, being impregnated with the same
poisonous matter, we become the prey of new
and frghtful diseases Of the throat and lungs
to which thousands of both sexes fall victims
every year Thus, dreadful throat disease,
which battles the skill of our most experienced
medical men, and which carries off its victims
in a few hours, is traced to the absorption of
vitiated air into the windpipe and has been
observed to rage with the greatest violence in
those quarters situated nearest to cemeteries"
There need not he fall smell ia poisoned air
The deadly malaria of the Pontine marshes,
we are reminded blows soft and balmyEas the
air of a DevonShire summer. In his last chap
ter, the surgeon shows how cremation OF the
dead would give even increased solemnlty to
the funeral service, and increased truth to the
words ashes to ashes, dust to DUST" in the
centre of the chapel used for burial, he would
erect a shrine of marble, at the door of which
the coffin should be lad-se constructed and
arranged that at the proper time, by unseen
agency the body should be drawn from it un
seen, into an inner shrine, where it crosses a
sheet OF furnace fame, by which it would be
instantly reduced to ashes Within the chap
ell, nothing would be seen outside, there would
be seen only quvering transparent ether,
floating away from the chapel spire. AL the
conclusion of the service, the ashes of the dead
would be reyerentIy brought, inclosed in glass
vase, which might be again enclosed in a more
costly urn for burial, for deposit in vault, or
in consecrated niche prepared for it after a
manner Of those inches for the urns of the de-
parted, which were called from their appear
ance, columbria-dove-cotes- the Romans.
The Ashes of those who loved each other ten
derly, might mingle in one urn, if we would
say:
Lei. not their dust be parted,
For their two hearts in life were single hearted"
There is nothing irreverent to the dead in
cremation. Southey expressed very emphati-
caIIy, why man might desire it for his friends:
" The nasty custom of interment," he says,
." makes the idea of dead friend more unplea-
SAINT We think of the grave, corruption and
worms Burning would be much better" The
true feeling is that with which the surgeon
ends his pamphlet, using the words of Sir
Thomas Browne " Ts all one where we lye,
or what becomes of our bodies after we are
dead, ready to be anything in the extasie of
being over" r"--HousehOM Words.
You've Men Pay ATTENToN.-Don't be a
oafer, don't call yourself loafer, don't keep
loafer's company, and don't hang about loaf
ing places Better work hard for everything
and beard yourself than sit around day after