Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-12-01
PREMATUsE INrERuENrs.

A writer in the Philadelphia Medical
Times has gathered some interesting iufor-
nation on the SD, Jet Of premature inter-
ments. OF all the horrors which have fear
full fascination for the human mind, he Oh
serves that perhaps that Of teiDg buried
alive in the most widespread. And WheL.
the vast number Of yearly iatermeats is
considered, 1t would at first seem as if, &C
coTding to the doctrine Of chances some
few persons, at least, must be consigned TO
the grave before the ex niction of life.
Every one knows Of the precautions taken
in some burial places 10 insure the detec-
ton of the slightest sign Of returning ami
nation; every one does not know hOE fruit
less these have been. The fact is, howev-
er, that in almost every instance where there
is the least room for doubt, the idea must
suggest itself to some one concerned.
Upon no other points is certainty so fever
ishly sought for, so dreaded, and YET so
insisted upon. Except when ciFcumstan-
ceS demand speedy burial, as in time of
pestileDce, this certainty is always attain
able; and it is in such exceptional cases that
all the alleged detections of premature inter
ments are said to have happened,
Dickens relates, in bis "Life of Grimaldi"
that the elder Grimaldi had such a horror
of bis beirg possibly buried alive, that he
directed in his lat will that his head
should be severed from his body before in
terment.
In 1870 the French academy of sciences
offered prize Of twenty thousand francs
for the discovery Of some positive sign Of
death, one which can be applied at any
time by non-medical persons, requiring no
\ - ~ to- ,v,Ii
tiOns. OF course, a number have teen
proposed. The latest, and so far apparent
ly the simplest and best, Is that sugges-
ted by Dr.. Hugo Magnus, of Breslau, in
ViTchow's ATchiU Tor August 10, 1872.
It is physiological and conclusive, being
based on the fact that when the circulation
positively ceases that the man Is dead. Nc
matter how profound the coma or francs,
no matter how death-like the lethargy,
some circulation must continue, be it ever
so sluggishly. Once it has stopped, re-
suscitatiOn is impossible. Ali that one has
to do, therefore, is to tie 8 string firmly
around the finger of the supposed corpse.
If there is the least speck of life left, that is,
if the blood ciTcluates at al, the whole fin.
ger from the string 10 the tip, will gradual
" turn q blush red, from the engagement
OF the veins: Notnlng else, no p0StmOf-
tenn infltratiol, can be mistaken for this
appearance.
The Medical and Surgical Reporter attrib-
utes great importance to this suggestion
and considers it the most practical aud sat
isfactOry yet made, But the Medical
Times points out one fact which seems to
have slngularly escaped notice: Should
living person be buried, the fatal event
must take place not only quickly, but easily.
Under no circumstances can life be main
tanned without respiration; and the carbon
lied air enclosed within the narrow space of
a coffiu would ia itself be narcotic which
would prevent any return of conscious
ness. This assurance will serve TO relieve
the anxiety of survivors as to any possible
suffering of the deceased in the grave, even
if prematurely inferred. But the sugges-
ton of DR.. Magnus is so easy and certain
that it should in no case be omitted.