Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1879-01-31
PREMATuRE BURIALs.

fore they are thoroughly dead Tile
rcusn, ii perhaps that mucl, ignorance
prevails IN regard 70 what is rca
death. Even physicians, who SHOT
know better, have frcqneItly PR
nounccd a person dying or dead, Which,
il was only fainiins lit Of long dn
ration, with cessation Of circulation
and respiratimn The sign of dcatll
commonly believed in. is 70 place i
mirror on the face d u person and Oh
serve If any Moisture is condensed oil
that portion Ut glass over the mouth
or to tic Il string tightly around fll,
ger and notice If it swclls up Til
moisture on the mirror and the swell
ing NJ Ut the finger, are 70 be sure,
certain signs that death has not taken
place, while they are the result OF
continued, however weak, respiration
and circulation; but the failure 10 oh
serve any such results IL by 10 means
q guarantee that the person is dead,
because there are cases If u trahc,
state ~ which, respiration and circula
tion had totally sloppcds ana aftcl
many hours. and even days, were res
tered. a person in such u condition
gives 10 signs of lilo whatsoever
auscultaiiun can detect the slightest
trace If the beating Of tie heart, it
Is q suspension of those functions 81
life, which certainly are alsp The symp-
tonis of the heginnlng IT death, but
dp not constitute death itself which
takes place solnctin.c alicrward
If r,w, this real death does not fol,
low, and the functions of respiration
and circulation from some unknown
causes, are restored to the individual,
he soon ieganrd his consciousness;
and il, IN the meantime, The relatives,
ignorMlt " tile above facts, had too
much confidence IN the physician whe,
declared the patient dead. aud listened
to the advices nf the undertakers, who
are always anxious To inish up their
jobs, SO as no; to Inc cheated ont oi
them, the poor patient has been buried
alive, aud his feelings, on awakening
IN the narrow coffin, buried III The
earth beyond help, are most horrible
thing 10 contemplate. Real death does
not Commence before the lingering vi
tally has been so far cxtinguished
that the ordinary chemical process and
reactions between the different parts
constituting the b4dy take place with
out hindrance. II we have Z soul or
spirit winch can exist, independent ei
the body this spirit cannot become
free from its enienglcments in the ma.
terhsl body before the body begins to
dtcompose and loses its vital func-
ti6hs entirely; before that time uncon-
scionsness prevails We hold, there
fore, that death begins with uncon-
sci3nsness, ard that it there is an AT,
ter lille Of the spirit, the real death or
departure of this spirit only takes
place when decomposition of The body
begins, which alone constitutes the
real death oi the body, while the soul
is gradually set free, or evolved from
the decaying body. The sure sign OF
this decomposition is not the odor, as
many sick persons emit had odors
even during life; but il is the visible
signs Of decomposition, which are
greelilsh iliscoloratiun, first appearing
on the abdomen or in the region Of
the stomach. This sign is absolutely
certain, aud if we had the power. we
would have law enacted foybiddiug
the burial Except in cases of prevail
ing dangerous epidemics) of any ind-