New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-21
Reform In Burial Rites-Chemical Gre.
nation Instead Of lnferment-senti-
mental and Sanitary Considerations.

| EDITOR REPUBLICAN,:
Now that the question of cremation OF
burial is being discussed by the press
| throughout the land permit me 10 bring
before the readers of the REPUBLICAN some
valuable suggestions on the subject con-
tanned in letter to the Boston Index from
one of it's English editorial contributors.
As a prelude, the writer remarks: From
my past experience of human kind. l feel
convinced that it is much more difficult to
effect change in their social customs than
in their ethics. In every country the
births, marriages and deaths are attended
by certain social rites which are more i'm
perious than any demands of conscience,
and it would be easier far TO relax or to
tighten the rest RANTS Of morality than to
alter one Of the social ceremonies.'
The writer gives his objections to the
present system as follows:
The first and least important objection
is that it is needlessly expensive, and an
undoubted hardship on the poor. Second,
injury to the public health. Third-and
this / reckon to be the chief of all OBJ
jectiOns-it is a needless and cruel aggraya-
ton of our physical and mental pain in be-
reavement, to witness the process of inter.
ment.
There may be some persons whose feel
ings are not narrowed by this sight; but l
can speak for myself and for thousands of
persons OF equally sensitive nerves and
strong imagination, that it is positive tor
ture to witness the burial of the body of a
very near and dear relative. The outward
form which we have loved and caressed we
place in a ceffin, close fitting to the outline
of human body Ia coffin is in itself mel
anchOly object, quite apart from its asso-
ciations); and this gloomy case, containing
our beloved dead, we follow to the dark
vault or deep grave, into which it is lowered
amid choking sobs and a dead weight at
our hearts. We leave the loved object at
the bottom of a cold, dark pit in which we
picture to ourselves, for months and wears
afterward, all the foul and revolving Pro-
cesses Of chemical decay, our thoughts be-
ing positively scourged by this haunting
picture. 1t is bad enough to lose our friends
and to miss them day by day; but it is a
monstrous aggravation Of our physical pain
IN losing them, to be tortured by such Wis
ions such memories.
Now, what l would propose is this As
soon as death is perfectly assured-after
such an interval as would render it lmpOs-
sible for medical man to doubt that death
had ensued-the body should be chemically
destroyed. 1t should be placed in some re-
eeptacle containing those powerful agents
known to chemical science, which would
simply annihilate the outward form and
practically destroy it. There would neces-
sarily be some deposit. which one might
call the . ashes - of the dead; and these
might be reverently gathered and placed in
beautiful urn or vase, to be disposed of
according to the wishes of the survivors.
They might easily be deposited in conse-
Grated places-in inches in the walls Of
churches, or in mortuary chapels designed
for their reception. This, too, might be ac-
companied by a religious service so that
the religious element is left untouched by
nv revolutionary proposal.
The advantage OF all this to people OF
highly wrought feelings would be immense.
l can imagine the peaceful calm which |
would steal over the mind when one could |
take reverently into ones hands the sacred |
urn and say. ''This holds all that remains OF |
my beloved No horror OF dark vaults |
and damp graves, with their seething cor |
ruption. No precious body being eaten |
piecemeal by worms of the earth or melt
ing away in loathsOme stream. The form
is changed; the substance really remaining
after the chemical burning is not in the |
least degree suggestive Of the past or the
future. The body is saved thereby from
every dossible dishonor; purified from
every decay. No words can describe the
relief which such a process would bring to
many and many an afflicted soul.
On the ground of health to the COM
munity, 1t would be most salutary. We |
little know, in England at least. what mis-
chief is brewing for US in our seething GENE
.erles. They are getting fuller and fuller, !
1t the rate Of l know not how MANY hun |
ireds of corpses day, the later ones being
nearer and nearer the surface. Many are
within four feet OF the turf, and that is not
.nough to prevent the escape of the most
oul and pestilential gases. i know of one
I'D cemetery which is now occupied by
'ooperage, and which is constantly wet
With stagnant water. All around it typhus
ever Is perpetually raging. The danger
would not be SO great if the bodies were
,uried without coffin. The earth would
ooner disinfect them; but as it is the mis-
hief is nursed and multiplied hundred
old by the process OF decay being delayed.
1t is quite possible that an outcry might |
e made on the plea of my scheme being
l can only say that our un-
ertakers might take this subject into their
consideration, and see whether they could
ot furnish all that was necessary, and con-
uct the business of destroying the body
nth decency and skill. Science will not
all to furnish the best chemical agents for
erforming this service speedily and inof-
l should not have touched on the question
f economy but for my sad experience
mong the poor The most ordinary burial
osts them -; that is fearful sum for a
eally poor family to contribute, and that
ften after heavy medical expenses Where |
8 my plan ought to De quite within the
Ost OF fifth OF that sum, let it be done in
ne best manner possible.
AS for the rites OF burial in themselves.
o wise man would care what became Of
is own dead body, so long as 1t was not
1T to be an injury to the living.
If in temperature like that of England
change is considered necessary, what
lall we say of our Southern cities9 shall
ever forget the yellow fever epidemic of
'67 in this city, when l followed the re-
ains OF many friends to our cemeteries
ere. On one occasion, while standing be-
Teen row of vaults listening to the
ttending clergyman in the final prayer,
ost fearful odor disturbed myself and all
oout me. l cast my eye down the long
Nv of vaults to see if could discover any -,
hlch were not properly sealed, and there,
1t few PAGES from me, saw oozing from
seam that had opened at the head of a
iult (evidently but few days closed),
'rk, sluggish stream, which trckled down
the ground.
Every intelligent person who stops to
ink knows that there must be an escape
mewhere, and at some time, of the gases !
hich are formed in those vaults, even if l
fluids are retained. The decomposed
after must return to the elements. l
Aside from the sanitary considerations, is !
not more revolving to all to contemplate d