The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-03-21
rhe ver,nca,,eu OF T,eaih.

- - !.
In paper read before the New
York Neaics Legal Society DR.. Woo
s'cr Beach ray0
A great VeDy tests have been pro-
posed 10 prove real death, the most
important being ausculiafiou TO deter
mine whether moveInenis OF the heart
can be distinguished, and application
OF the gaIvanie current 10 ascertain
exeils biliiy OF the muscles remains
But the tests of death available tor
popular use are unreliable, and - con-
sequeu;ly follows that there Is At least
possibility of person being buried
alive Ca'alepsy occs'ional'y presents
form that might be mistaken even
by the physieisps for death. \ CREST
many cases of apparent death have
been reported, aud some Of persons
buried alive From loo cases OF 81.
parent death, the following cases arc
given in the order Of their frequency;
Syneope. hysteria. spoplexy, nareoii'n,
and conclusion of the brain.
My principal object in what l have
said ha. been to awaken at,edtico TO
the fact THAI living person may pre-
sent sigus of death sufficiently well
marked to deceive be unskillrd, aud
even to require careful, scientifically
conducted examination to establish the
fact that the body of such perron
still contains life. II is DOT very nm
ususl thing for physician TO furnish
n certificate Of death before the actual
demise of his pasisnIl Aud We all
know Of instances Ehere in such case
the doctors clo0mys3 prornnsis hss mot
bsso verified, and the Individual " HON
he has coRsigacd to the tomb has,
perhaps. had The singular experience
Of peru.ing the document which, under
ordiasry circumstances, ought to be
conclusive evidence OF his own death
The eminent physicians who have
given thorough study to the subject
assert their belief most positively thai
apparent death may be mistaken for
real, snd by their eXeriions have iufu
enced legislation to prevent evil CON
sequences In Europe government
prescribes the time that u cor PIE must
be kept before burial Ia this coun,
try there are 30 statutory laws govern
ing this matter Our laws furnish no
protection against the dsuger OF bury
ing q person while alive, and the avoid
anse Of such Nh accident rests entirely
upon the care of those having charge
OF the body before intermeut In this
country the body of a deceased person
is placed in = box and pounded ice
thrown 10 so as to completely enveIop
it, and the temperature Is reduced 80
low that actual freezing Of he tissue,
takes place One effect only can ioi
low-if the vital spark was in the
person before being subjected to the
intense cold, il needs no argument to
show that il would take but very
short exposure 10 It's influence to eu-
tirely extinguish it. Almost the 6rst
Effect Of cold. when intense enough TO
cause death, Is inseusibiliiy, with entire
loss Of muscular motion. The person
exposed to il could make no movement
nor utter no oHtcry TO indicate thar he
Was suffering or dying from 1t, effect,
Once packed in the ice his death is as
sure rs If committed 10 the grave
With US q supposed dead body doe
DOT have time 10 become decomposed
before it Is packed in ice l. there no
real danger in this? Under no cir
cumstsuces should the burial vi body
be allowed AZ hour or two after death
But why not we'll bury il a. Piu-e
it ia q .ituaiion of equal peril to il.
suPpcsing life not to havo departed
from it
l see but one way to accomplish the
establishment OF the fact OF death With
certainty. and that is By the appoiut
men, Of officers TO inspect the dead