Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-08-24

4
to the grave, might possibly have been
| alive at the moment Of interment In
the enjoyment Of health, or in the pur-
suit Of active business, the thought
seldom occurs to US that possibly We may
| be buried alive. Yet such has been the
! fate of many 8 one more than the
world knows of-and each individual
runs the risk in his own person of this
awful reality. It is 3 wonder that the
| suhiect has not attracted more public
attention than 1t has; for we read very
| little about it in the public prints. This
silence may be accounted for partly from
the fact that comparatively few cases
have happened of which we have any
knowledge. But why is this so? IL is
because the closed coffin shuts out for
ever the terrible revelations of intense
| suffering from suffOcation which the
comparatively dead have to undergo.
The living can never know OF the mortal
/ throes-the agony of the grsve. That
| person may be dead to all appearance,
| and vet life not extinct, has been often
| demonstrated, and it is from this fact
that we should be keenly slive to sn ap-
4 prehension Of its occurrence among our
own friends.
We learn from g report made to the
| authorities Of Berlin, that in the course
Of thirty months, ten people who had
| been supposed dead were found to be
alive, and were saved from real death.
| In the large towns in GeTmsDy mOrtusry
chambers are established, in which the
dead are placed some days before burial
Dr. Manni, q professor in the University
| Of Rome, offered some years ago, prize
Of 900 francs, to be paid by the French
Academy OF Sciences, for an essay on
| the signs of death and the means TO be
/ taken to prevent premature interment.
! The essay was written, but nothing sat
| isfactory was elected. But, public opin-
! ion having been awakened to the sub
! iect, laws were afterwards passed,
| founded upon actual observation, by
which mortuary houses were directed to
| be established. Cases OF suspended ami
nation, though not very numerous, for
the reason before given, have happened
sufficiently often to put US on our guard,
and it will serve my purpose to nsrrate a
| few which have occurred.
1t is related that the Rev. Edward
Wolfe, the writer Of the memorable and
popular lines OF the death of Sir John
| Moore, who fell at COrunns, Spain, was
q posthumous child of his mother-that
| is, he WAS born after the supposed death
of his mother and her burial. The story
runs that, after she had laid some time
! in the vault chosen for the burial place,
some sacrilegioUs wretches, knowing
| that her jewelTy had not been removed
| from her person, attempted 10 ROB her IN
her grave. They did SO so violently
that, in tearing the rings from her
fingers, they caused the blood to flow,
which revived her, and she was subse-
Quently rescued from the grave, and
afterwards bore the author of the afore-
said lines.
A remarkable instance of resuscitation
was related to the French Senate in
1865, by Cardinal D0nnett, SO having
happened to himself. 1t being short, l
herewith transcribe it:
sin 1926, young priest was suddenly
struck down, unconscious, in the pulpit
of q crowded cathedral where he was
preaching. The funeral knell was soon
after tolled, and q physician declared
| him to be certainly dead, and obtained
| leave for his burial next day. The bish-
| Cd of the cathedral where this event had
1 occurred had recited the De Profundis
by the side of the bier. The coffin was
being already prepared. Night was sp-
| preaching, and the young priest, VINO
/ heard all these preparations, suffered
| sgonies. He wGs only twenty-elght
years old, and in perfect health. At last
| he distinguished the voice OF friend OF
| his childhood. This caused him to make
q superhuman effort, and produced the
/ wonderful effect of causing him to speak.
The next day he was able to preach
again." ~
This astonishing narrative, related by
| the very person VINO had been the sub
! ject of restoration to life, produced its
| effect; and, with some other instances
which were mentioned by other Sena-
| tors as having fallen under their notice,
| caused more attention to be paid TO the
| subject of burials. The Senate forward
| ed the matter to the Minister OF the In-
! terlor, and, by 80 doing, implied that the
existing laws on the subject were insuf-
/ flcient.
Another case on record is related by 8
! foreign journal Of female, supposed to
/ he dead. who was saved just st the right
time from being buried alive. The girl
| had sickened and died, as her friends
! thought; she was laid out Is usual, and
| remained, to all appearance, q corpse for
! three days, when the time arrived which
/ was appointed for her burial. When the
undertaken came to screw down the I'D
of the coffin, 8 slight perspiration was
noticed upon her skin, which being I'M
| medistely regarded, and an examination
| was made. Life was soon found to be IN
the body, and she was restored tc
| health.
The most interesting part Of the cir
| eumstance is the account that the girl
gave OF her own experience during the
! ipanimate state. She said she appeared
to dream she was dead, but was sensible
/ of eyery thing that was passing around
her. and distinctly heard her friends be-
| vail her death. She felt them eDvelop
| her in the shroud and place her In the
| coffin. The sensation gave her extreme
agony, and she endeayered to speak, but
/ her soul was unable to act on her body.
She attempted in vain to move her arms,
to open her eyes, to speak. The agony
| was at its hight when sine heard the fu-
neral hymn, and found they were about
70 nail down the coffin. The horror oi
being buried alive gave new impulse to
her mind, which resumed its power over
itE corporal. organization, and produced
| fhe effects which excited the no
/ tiee of those who were about to convey
her to a premature grave.
Another case of recent occurrence is
related Of young girl in tie State OF
! Ohio. who was pronounced dead by the
| nhvsiciaus in attendance. Her disease
was typhoid fever. The decision wss
acouiesced in by the girls friends, with
the exception Of her mother, who no
tieed that the body still retained its
| warmth. Efforts ut resuscitation had
been made in vain, and it was deter
mined TO consign her to her grave; but
the day before the time affixed Tor TOE i1
funeraI-ss the account states" while
one of the neighbors and the mother
vTere standing by the side of the sup
posed corpse, the door, which had been
left open, blew sbut with q loud noise,
which had the effect of 80 setting upon
the girl IS TO bring her to and set heT
Hfe-blood in motion. She sprang up IN
bed, and, throwing her arms around her
mothers neck, wept for joy over her es-
cape from the horrid death OF being
buried slive."
The lady, describing her sensations
says that when she felt heEselt shaking