The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-04-23
Burning the Dead.


About fifty scientists met last night III As
sOciation Hall to consider the subject of
'sCrematiOn." Colonel Henry Stone, haV-
inc been called to the chair, said that
committee appointed at aprevious informal
meeting for the purpose, had prepared
some resolutions.
Mr.. Henry Bergh said: ''All the peO-
ple of the earth hold that the dead have
luckily escaped from an abode OF bricks
and mortar to a blessed abode from when
they would not be called. By this the
conclusion is closely established that ere
nation and inhumatiOn do not affect the
status of the soul, which is in reality all
that is worth preserving; neither is the
Christians belief in the resurrection OF the
body i'm its natural form aSsailed by ere
nation. for its fate is to become dust and
ashes. Let science do its best. Ii seemed
TO him that the only obstacle in the way OF
speedily reducing the body to that con-
dition which it must sooner or later reach
is sentiment-perhapS a better word Is
prejudice. 1t is not that cremation Is oil
Pagan origin, the purpose being only 10
preserve the body from insult from enc
mics, nor that Omnipotence would eX-
perience any greater difficulty III restoring
its particles on the Last Day by WhateVer
process they had been scattered; but simply
because of an idea which the usages Of time
have consecrated. Moreover, the volun-
tarv destruction of the body seems TO such
disrespectful to it and to its living asSOcl-
ations. and a mutilatiOn of its physical
beauties, which memory desires to cherish.
For my own part" said MIR. Bergh'
can not discover ANYTHING beautiful or at
tractive in dead body. Yet have heard
persons declare that some dead friend look
ed perfectly lovely, that they had even
kissed the cold and clammy lips; but L
prefer to believe that it required a strong
| effort. and that had the admirer OF defunct
| lOvelinesS been requested TO slJ up all
night with the beautiful corpse, sense OF
horror would have dispelled the Illusion.
| No: memory delights in the physical and
moral beauties of the departed. and sight
| of the beloved features narrowed by suffer
| ing and stained by corruption serves only
| to rob remembrance of its richest treasures.
Let the painful sight be hidden from hui
! man view rs quickly as may be; for 1t and
the living have nothing in common, nor
do costly caskets, flowers, monuments
and funeral pOmp tell of aught else than
human vanity. The sanitary aspects,
| too, of this question are OF dread mi
port. The numerous and extensive
cities of the dead within the cities OF the
| living may well engage the undivided at
! tentiOn of metropolitan authority. by the
present mode of inhUmatiOn the once beau
| fiful tenement which enshrined the spirit
we were wont to love and revere is made
pestilential scourge, poisoning with its
| fatal gases the air we breathe and the water
we drink. Then the pagan theory OF pre-
serving the body from insult is worthy OF
| consideration, as our restless or ever vary
inc American life denies even to the silent
dead permanent resting place. My opin-
ion is that cremation does not conflict with
our religion, for the language of the burial
service is, Dust to dust and ashes to ashes
Secondly, inhumatiOn satisfies no reason
able instinct of our nature. 1t Is only
prejudice like hundreds OF others that
either exist or have been cleared away by
the bright light of reason. And lastly,
cremation speedily effects that which the
tarClv process of decomposition accom-
plishes with danger and infinite cost to the
| living. Tie final result in both cases is
annihilation."
Prof. G.. w. S. Arnold, NJ. D., of the
New York University, read an article from
the London Lancet, describing process OF
cremation by means of hot air blast,
which is cheap and speedy.
| A resolution was passed by which the
gentlemen assembled formed themselves
into an association for the purpose OF pro
noting cremation and securing lts practlc;l
: application. A resolution binding the
members of the society to provide for the
disposal of their bodies by cremation was
warmly discussed Mr.. Casswen thought
that many would be scared away from the
society by the necessity Of pledging them
selves for cremation. Wives would object,
and other objections would arise. But
Mr.. Ellis B. Schnabel said that the society
would have no strength should the mem-
bers refuse to follow out their avOwed
opinions. Their belief should be acted on !;
beginning must be made somewhere and
the custom would never be introduced un-
less the members of the society first led
the van. Then the speaker showed how
matter is ever changing in form and never
dies. The ashes of the dead should not be
entombed. 1t is violating a law of nature,
and robbing man.Of the fructifying ele-
ments i'm the body. The ashes should be
scattered over the soil to return to man
again in fruits and all kinds of food. The
, resolution was tabled.
On motion of DIR. T. NJ. Weld, Messrs.
f. G. Bowman and Ii. 5. AlcOtt were ap-
pointed a committee on law TO take steps
for obtaining charter from the Legisla-
ture establishing institutions for crema-
tiOn