Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-17
BURIAL ALIVE
The Dangers Of Too Precipttate Inter.
memtS.
tFrom the New York Times

January / in refer. nee to an extraordinary cir
cumstsnce reported TO have lately occurred in
Missouri, where q chic wss rescued from being
buritd alive when actually la its coffi n ana on
the way to the cemetery. Just a year ago a
dreadful discovery, reported in the ottawa Citi-
zen, dew attention anew to this snhect. For
some time the work OF removing bodies from an
old TO a new Roman Catholic cemetery had been
in progress. In the course of the process the
lid of q coffin came off. 1t proved to be that of
an uncle of the gentleman who was superin-
tending the removal, and the contents pre-
occupant had evidently lived IN it. His face
was coDtorted into an agonized expression;
the arms were drawn up as far as the coffin
would admit, and the head was twisted round
TO the shoulders, which apparently had
been gnawed by the wretched man himself"
This apprehension Of being buried alive has
beep.the bughear of many eminent men. Pres
colt, the historian, lett Instructions, which
were carefully carried out, that his jugular vein
should be severed, and, on the occasion OF
Lord Lytt0n's death, we read in the London
Times about that date: 1.-The coffin has been
made, but the body was not placed in it in con-
sequence of a curious injunction contained in a
paper which, on his Lordship's death, came
into the hands of his legal representatives.
According ito this, he stpulates that at
ter death, or presumed death, his body shall be
allowed TO remain three days on the bed, where
he may be untouched; after which medical
men are TO examine him to ascertain that he is
really dc ad, and if so to certify accordingly"
This subject has excited so much attention on
the Continent as almost 10 produce a literature
of Its own. at is not to-day for the first time"
SAYS DR.. Josat, writing in 1854, "that too
prompt interment begins 20 receive attention.
This sad subject has, on the contrary, been a
the me of meditation TO every true friend of HUI
mainly. But all, or nearly all, have confined
themselves to drawing trightful picture of in
stances in which premature burials have &C.
CURED, without troubling about the means by
which such dreadful events may be avoided"
1t appears that in France a physician of the
Anglo Saxon name OF WinslOw was the first who
gave earnest attention to preventive methods,
and the circumstance that he had himself
tive occasions narrowly escaped burial alive,
naturally served to stimulate this gentleman's
efforts. He was followed by several of his
countrymen in works on the same subject. In
Germany action was first taken in the matter
by the celebrated Hufeland, to whom may
mainly be attributed the morUuary regulations
now existing in that country. Wemar, his
native state, was easily induced TO accept his
projects of reform, and Munich was not slow TO
follow. About 1873, the authorities of Frank
fort-on- Main began TO pay great attention to
this subject. With this end the following
ranRements were made: on each side OF vast
chamber called the watch saloon, arranged in
order down its length, are eight glass frames
corresponding to as many cell-like partitions, the
floor of which is lower by about meter than the
floor OF the saloon. Above each frame, which is
numbered, one sees bell; it is an alarm-bell.
This bell communicates with the interior OF
the cell by cylinder crossing the partition.
1t is set in motion by weight, relatively very
heavy. which is held by a sort of little bolt, OF
which the trigger or catch is of the utmost SEN
sitiveness. TO the fingers of the corpse are
fitted a sort of thimbles, connected with the
alarum In such a way that on the very slightest
movement OF the alarm machinery, which is OF
the most delicate and sensitive description,
wOnld feel the touch, and the alarm would be
given. When the cell is well warmed and light
ed, and everything in order, the coffin is placed
upon the tIestles with the head on the same
side as the door, and conseq uently opposite the
window, which can he looked through from the
watch saloon. When the corpse has been
stretch ed on its bier, on a bed, the hands are
laid side by side OF little board placed across
the region of the stomach. They then proceed
TO apply the apparatus, after having
first tried il several times; each finger
is fitted with corresponding thimble, and
tie hUnd is then extended upon the board.
In the watch chamber is established the con-
tIolier, to insure whose constant watchtuness
neither bed, table, nor chair are allowed him,
and whose attention is further secured by his
being obliged every half hour to move to a sort
of Indicator which, in case Of his emitting 10
attend to il, would by a clever system Of mech
anism revea! his neglect Immediately outside
the watch chamber and parallel with II are two
spacious passages, into which all the mOrtuaTy
cells open. he appliances for warming and
veDtilating them are described as perfect. Let
us SUPPOSE, says dGscrtber, for arguments
sake, a resurrection: the slightest movement of
the fingers OF the supposed corpse would make
itself felt upon the thimble, which in turn tells
upon the thread which communicates with the
bell. This alarms the Waterman, who instantly
summons the physician, who hastens TO the
cell, carries the patient into the chamber of
vivitcaton." and adm nisters the necessary re-
StoTstives." Everything that human care and
ingenuity can devise is here in case of acct
dents; so much so, indeed, that II really seems
almC st disappointing to learn that the bell has
only once, we understand, been rung. Within
three days those signs of decomposition gener-
ally make their appearance which
cepted as the intallible indications of death.
Nevertheless, instances have occurred of such
indications being much longer delayed. In the
sum mer OF 1910 young girl died IN France OF
pleuTO pneumonia, who, after an exposure of
eight days, during the extreme heat of that sea-
son, continued in state of perfect preserva-
ton; in fact, every symptom about her favored
the delusion of a death-like swoon, and her pa
rents would not hear the idea of her burial 1t
was not until the ninth day that the fact OF
death revealed itself by unmistable signs.
This very year case somewhat of the kint &C.
CURED in this country. Here is current news
paper extract relating to it.
WESTMINSTER, MD, Aug 2S.-In the case Of
the young man Matthias, said to have died, but
was supposed to have revived, there seems TO be
no hope that he has really come TO life. The
appearance of his skin led to a difference of
and this led to postponement of the funeral.
The body has a perfectly natural appearance,
and up to last evening no decomposition had
been noticeable. On pressing the lips with the
finger they turn white, and on removing the
finger they resume their natural color. The
general impression is, however, that he is dead.
tits not without shudder, says NJ. Thomas
son, another French writer ON this sub iect, that
have read the account of NJ. Heequet, sur
geon- major of the Military Hospital, at Dun
Kirk, in reference to the state of corpse. He
my eyes fell upon a corpse still in its entire
state, lying upon its right side; the head and
knees were bent, and pushing the right plank,
while the buttOcks and heels were pressed
against the left. They told me that the corpse
had been buried about eight years. It's position
naturally invited the conviction that it had been
placed in the coffin while in state OF lethaTgy;
that awakening from this condition it had stTug-
gled, and that death had overtaken it in the
midst Of these frantic efforts" Thierry, another
French writer, condemns in the strongest man
ner the too speedy burials practiced in his day
in Paris, and thinks that it ought TO be obliga-
tory on all families to expose their dead for at
least thirty hours. He emphasizes especially
the indecent haste with which, in furnished
apartments, strangers are got rid OF, and men
tons a case in which man who was walking In
the street between 10 and IL one morning being
| Ostensibly dead at noon, though without appar-
ent disease, was actually buried that same even
ing! He had even known of the case of man
in humble life who, seized with an epileptic
fit and being supposed to have died of il, was
carried to the cemetery, and forthwith in
tered.
Too precipitate burial often occurs in the
case of persons whose death il supposed TO have
been occasoned by a sudden shock. On more
than ore occasion electricity or galvanism has
served to rekindle the spark of life. Thus, q
boy who fell from the second story of a building
| into the court below, was picked up dead. On