The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-04-29
CREMATION-BURNING VS.. BURIAL
Editor Press and Banner

Editor Press and Banner:
e see from the journals that depart
ure from the usual mode of sepulture
oelng agitated in some sections of tn
country, and the method of cremation
advocated. Twas not aware until saw
at in the Columbia Phc2nir that q dis
tlnguished citizen of this State (Hcnr,
Laurens) instructed, by will, his son t.
dispose of his remains in this way. J,
this article wish to bring your atcen
ton to the opinion of another illu striou:
son OF South Carolina-giftcd in intel
iect' rehhed IN taste and sen .sibilities-
besides, beloved for his great mora
Henry Dickson, M. D.
In the first edition of his ESSAYS on
Pathology and Therapeutics, pages 153
marks:
The sig'ls of death are thus all of
:neiu, III come degree, equivocal, though
IN the Vast majority of Instances the CO.
1nclue nee of the greater number of
\ !he'-n would leave no reasonable doubt
!. the mind of the inquirer. Before
proceeding, to intermcnt would always
wait tor the commencement Of decom-
Yposition as evlnced by its own peculiar
odour. This is the only certain sign of
death; and the thought Of burying alive
human beng, is too horrible to allow
us to run the least risk of such an acci-
dent. And there are, unfortunately,
TOO many instances on record of this
mistake, to permit us for moment to
regard the dangsr as imaginary. Plmy
mentions young man of rank, who
seemingly deprived of life, was placed
on the funeral pile. The heat of the
flames revived him, but he persisted be-
fore his friends could rescue him from
them. The great anatomist Nesalius,
had once the ineXpressible misfortune
ITO commence the dissection of a living
was the fate Of the Able Provost, who
sciousness, too late alas! under the
scalpel. Preparation having been made
to embalm the body of Cardinal Somag-
lia, the operator had scarcely penetrat-
ed into the chest, when the heart was
seen to beat. The unfortunate patient,
returning to his senses, had still suffi-
cient strength to push away the knife
of the Surgeon, but the lung had been
mortally wounded, and he died misera
bly,. The individual appointed by the
French Government to superintend the
removal of bodies from one of the prin-
cipal burying grounds of the capital, re-
ported that he had found many of the
skeletons in postures which demonstrate
ed their having effected motion and par
tial turning after intcrment. Would to
heaven that the good sense of mankind
would lead the civilized and Christian
nations to resume the ancient and clasSi-
cal practice of burning the bodies of the
dead. There is surely something shock
ing in the very idea of inhumation. 1t
is, 1 confess, revolving to my own mind
in the highest degree, to remember that
custom dooms me
"To lie in cold obstruction-and to rot
This sensible, warm being to become
\ kneaded clod."
But there is much better argument
than that derived from mere feeling,
against the mode now universally prac-
tised in disposing Of tile human corpse.
Upon the funeral pile we reduce to a
heap of innocent dust, that which in
few days will be changed into mass Of
putrefaction, taintipg the air and spread
ing around it, If taken far away, horror
and pestilence. What matters it that
we are at present able to remove il !
to such a distance and to hide it so COM
pletely that it affects ollr senses neither
of sense nor smell; although We have
mot succeeded, if we may believe the
statements of several respectable wri-
ters, Walker and Chadwick among
them, in obviating the Gc!cte:i0Is influ-
.ences Of its putrefaction upon the living,
who breathe the neighboripg atmos-
phere affected by it. The naere conceal
:lnent of the decaying remnants of NOR
'tality will not always be in our power.
% t.ftr nf I ha ,l,c11 10, -Su |
crowded with inhabitants than the busy
streets of Constantinople; the catacoalbs
of Paris and the cemeteries of I.ondol:
are filed to overtiowing. Nay, certain
facts stated recently with regard ta the
bariM grounds OF two Of the cities CT!
this new "erld, would lead US to doubt
whether sRnilarcTils were quite SO dis
tant from QUE apprehension rs might
have been imagined, from the compare
tive sparsencss of population in our inn
mense extent of territory. ...
how much better, then, for The cold
and clamnly clay, and the noisonc grave
yard, to substitute the polished vase, the
marble urn, in which we may preserve
deposited the relics of tall that our
souls hold dear" and dwell upon the
remembrance of our friends with emo
tions of tender melancholy, mingled
With no gloomy ideas of recoiling dis
gust. Their ashes may thus become the
inmates and the ornaments of our habi-
tations; and their constant presence
may serve to over-awe from what, being
evil, would have been frowned upon by
them when living, and to encourage us
to those good actions which we feel
would have deserved and met with their
appreciation"
You thus perceive, Mr.. Editor, that
this distinguished man, as far back as
1S45, when his work was published,
heartily and earnestly advocated crema-
'tion ~ far preferable to our usual m ode
of sepultnre. Many persons would say
that they could not brook the idea of
burning the remaius of wife or child or
other friend. How much more harrow
ing and appalling the lingering doubt
over the death of such relative or friend!
Much might be written pro and con as
to the proposed change, besides serve to
illustrate the truth of the old adage,
'"De gustiGus non est dispufcndum,n
etc. We hope the above article will
elicit some inquiry and Investigation
from your numerous readers.
--<GS<-