, 1860-01-06

The adjourned monthly meeting of this Su.
c1ety Was held on The evening of the Sd inst,
at the lousc Of Il. Il. Magic, Esq; I. y. Arnold,
Esq., in the chair.
Interesting letters were read from Hon. S.
Breeze Of Carlisle; Alr. J. Russell Of .UlufIialc,
Ninian ". Edwards, Esq, Of Springfield, ILL.,.
and DF. Z. James ot Burlington, Iowa. Dr..
james presented IL the Society manuscript
translation Of hymns into the Chippewa dialect,
executed By him, with notes explanatory Of that
language; together with printed lynn book
in the Iudian aud EuglisA languages. An
nouace ment was madc Of tue gift by Hon. J,
". Eoydcn, lutte Senator of Mass, and now Of
this city, of the Charter and Laws OF the Pro-
vince Of Massachusetts lay, from 1oa2 10 l'ds,
bound, folio.
IrHiAL OF THE DEAD IN CITIES.
The Secretary, by permission. tten submitted
historical aud scientific paper, prepared at
the Socirty's request some months since, on
''lntesment in Popuious Cities" by Prof. J. II.
kauch, Ii. D., late Of tie nush Medical College.
The historical part WAS read ut length. il cx-
llitited the various modes Of disposing Of the
dead, as prac.iscd in Antiquity, especially by
the Hebrews, Egyptians, Greeks aud Romans;
showing the regard observed for the public
hcnl.l,, particularly by the Roman laws, in The
location places 0! intcrnaeMt beyond slr limits
of populons lnLitation.
Tie paper proceeded to trace The introduc-
tiou ofinLusnatiou in churches aud churchy ards,
after the introduction Of. Christianity, and the
continuation a:.l spread Of situi:ar usagcs,
with occasional Interruptions, until the
18th century, wien :iIe abuses aud evils Of
such practices attracted attention, particularly
in France aud Germany, where iuterment with
in the inhabited limits Of large ciiics-as iu
PARIS and Tirnna-"cre checked, and Mt length
wholly prohibited. The example Of these States
was followed, during the present century, to
creutcr or less ext.nt, in Gre:t Iii itain and the
United States, the first movements in this coun-
try having been made orer fifty years =incc in
Massachusetts and New York, resulting in the
establishment Of rural Genet ries remote from
the municipal limits Of thu largcr cities, and
the iuse1 diction uf general interment within
tllosc limits.
The historical sketch WAS f.,:.owed hy all cx-
trntied discussion u the scicntihc and sanitary
principles, with numerous illut.ratiyc facts.
| popu|ous cities au1 towus; s!tuwing tho extent
| ani dtietereus influence OF the ..hses evolved
fran decomi,us:u:, bodies, tile effects uf ticii
inhalation into thc delicate tissues Of tue lungs
| or absorption by the snrtace Of the bodies Of
tl,c living t1,c tendencies of accommodating, re.
ulaius ut the Aead, i'll state Of decomposition,
tu corrupt tic springs, wells and other source:
| nf wuter, 10 communicate infection, and breed
0iscmpers. This po,t1on Of the paper, owing
| tu ils len .tb, IVES not read; and an cpitonlc "1
it CONTENTS was given, With i fcw cxtf:lcls from
| tue reports of sanitary commissions Of Norfolk
| Va, and New Orleans, CONNECTED win the tls
astlous appearance OF yellow fever IN IL ,se
| cities, i few years since.
The closing passages Of the paper were read
| which Treated IF The conditions TO be observed
| III tue location of rural ar suburban cemeteries
the dcrth If graves, qualities Of so], DC, desir
able.
The thanks Of the society having been vote,
to I}r. Eaucl,, for Ills learned aud interesting
paper discussion was had ut some length, il
which Its. johnson and Andrews expressed
their concurrence in the general views present
cd in the paper.
Mr. Hross explained the action OF the Cit,
Council uf Chicago in regard to the public pro
vision for intermelts. aud referred to the in
fo. nation ohtaine,l by committee of that bods
on which lie aclc1, IN relation 10 the prcsai
cemetery, and the grounds OF the Councils cpir
lou, TINT s1,ortuary establishments could be bet
ter and more satisfactorily managed by p1ivat
corrorati"ns properly organized us'd empowere
THAI by the municipal authorizes. judge n:
nierrc presented some extended aud forcb
remarks on the history of the present cemc,er
grounds, and the proposed plans for their sui
ablc cure md embeli,=hment; and the desi1
entertained by many Of our older citizens. I
restrict 50 tar its occupation. hereafter, as
guard asainst ATTY possible injury to the pub1
health, Ut the same timr TO render it IN orr
meuta, nnd appropriate depositary for tho Is
cred dead.
Thr discussion, which was Of friendly chm
actcr, arose rpon proposition 10 print Il
a3c ~ rcfi1sa ,s nc aun So1ensf" ,,, trta vr
ration Of which WAS postponed 70 the next nlee
ing Of the Society.