Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-09-04
APPARENT DEATH.

IHE ldCG GudG pcOplc dIc SOulCGliliCo
buried alive, in consequence of wrong
diagnosis, was known as far back as we
have any knowledge of the race, and was
early made the subject of serious inves-
tigation. But the cases, so it was calcu-
lated, in which such an error was COM
mitted are so exceedingly rare that the
danger arising from it is not greater than
that of being struck by meteoric stone
or of being swallowed up by chasm
suddenly made under our feet by an
earthquake.
So the matter stood when the cele-
brated French physician, Thouret, in
1856, was commissioned to watch over
the new grounds of the "Cimetiere des
InnOcents," mainly for the purpose of
promoting the sanitary condition of the
city. At that time the pick-aX and
shovel were busy in the older portion
of the cemetery, which had been used
for many generations, and many of the
graves were opened in order to remove
the skeletons to the CatacOmbs. Thou
ret availed himself of this opportunity
to investigate and found, in seven or
eight cases, convincing evidences that the
subjects had been buried alive. The
skeletons in these cases bore unmiS-
taxable proofs of there having been a
death struggle. Some of them lay on
the belly, and had bitten their fingers to
the bone; in other cases the limbs were
drawn up against the coffin-lids, which,
in one or two instances, had been broken,
unquestionably by a pressure from
within.
Thouret's discoveries created an i'm
mense sensation, and he himself became
so fearful that it might be his lot to
wake up in a coffin that he gave every
possible direction in his will to guard
against such an event. AT the same
time the authorities made certain changes
in the laws regarding burials, and took
the necessary steps to have them more
generally obeyed. Burials were for
hidden before the third morning, or with
out certificate from a physician. There
was a law to this effect previously, but
it had never been generally enforced,
and the lower orders almost universally
ignored it.
That, in the nineteenth century, de-
spite all the precautionary measures that
have been adopted, such cases as those
verified by DR.. Thouret have occurred,
in all tt cir frightfulness, there is album
dant proof. Among the best authenti-
Gated are the following:
In the year 1926, a young, robust priest,
named Donnet, stood in his pulpit
preaching Lent sermon, when suddenly
his voice began to grow feeble, he
changed color, and in few seconds fell
lifeleSs to the floor. In indescribable
CONSERVATION the congregation rushed
for the doors of the church. Two or
three of the more intelligent and less
superstitious fastened to assist the priest,
while others ran immediately for a
physician, who, however, did not arrive
for nearly an hour.
The physician examined the young
man very carefully, and finally an
nounced that, in his judgement, it was a
case of apopleXy; that death had ensued
almost instantly; and that, of course, the
case was one for the undertaken, and not
for the doctor
Two days later the priest was put into
coffin and carried to the church where
the terrible event had occurred. Right
and left burned the usual number of
tapers. Solemnly resounded the De pro
tatndis through the dimly-lighted halls
The supposed dead man, who was after.
ward cardinal tells us in his report tC
the French Senate what he experienced
during these ceremonies. He saw and
heard everything that was going on
around him; but no eXertion of his will
was sufficient to affect the lethargy that
controlled his organism. His despair
surpassed everything that human imag-
ination can picture. He felt that ne
must at any minute succumb to the ag-
ony he suffered, and herein was his only
hope.
Suddenly he heard the voice of friend
of his youth whom he had not seen for
years. The wellremembered tones
awakened series of recollections which
contrasted so strongly with his present
situation, and produced so powerful an
effect upon him, that all at once his mus
cles again obeyed the mandates of his
will. He rose up and tried to make the
assistants understand that he was still, or
rather again, in the possession of his vi
tai energies; but cry of amaZement and
horror ran through the church. On the
following day young Donnet was able to
resume his duties.
A Paris Journalist named Alexander
Ducros in the year 1860 died, as was sup
posed, and was laid in state, after the
manner usually adopted with people OF
note. Hundreds of his friends and &C
auaintances paid their last tribute of re
spect to the deceased, and entered theil
names in book that lay beside him tt
receive them. Four or five days after
ward, two young journalists who ha(
been among those who had paid their las
respects to their colleague met Alexan
der Ducros on the boulevards, apparentl.
in perfect health. They trembled ant
stammered, as they would doubtless hav'
done IN the presence of genuine appa
rltlon; still, it was Ducros in person, ant
not his spirit, who thus surprised them