Morning journal and courier., 1881-03-25
A Plea for Cremation.

' ! Mountains enduring memories with those who are now ebbing away.
 A Plea for Cremation.
 A Meeting of the New York Cremation societvsand a Lecture by Physician. From the New York Times
 The New York Cremation society, which is growing rapidly in members, held meeting in Cooper Institute last evening to listen to a lecture on ''The Disposal of the Dead-a Plea for Cremation" by Edward J. Birmingham, M. D. Among the gentlemen present were Dr. H. M. Welles, United States navy; Medi- cal Inspector Bloodgood, United States navy and Joseph M. Kalif, United States army A number of officers of the army and navy were proposed for membership After the routine business was transacted Dr Birmingham was introduced by the speaker of the evening. He thought the most enthusiastic opponents of cremation, and the strongest adherents of the form of burial now in general use, were sim ply those who were carried away by sentiment alism, love of old customs, and desire in the old fashioned way, to pay the last token of respect to departed dead ones He hoped that by mere recital of facts @ spirit of in quiry would be awakened, which was all that was needed to convince the most skeptical of the actual danger to health and life. It was generally acknowledged that the air exhaled from the dead if breathed in a concentrated form, would prove fatal, and that even when diluted by surrounding atmosphere 1t would lower the standard of health. Analysis of air in and near graveyards has given positive proof of it's deleterious nature In vaults the air contains carbonic acid, carbonate of ammonium, hydro-sulphuric acid and organ ic matter in which fungi and germs of infu- soria abound. Dr. Angus Smith has found that three volumes of carbonic acid per ,OOO caused great feebleness of circulation, while respiration quickened. These effects were perceptible when the amount was as low as volume to 1000. The diseases prev alent in and near graveyards are dysentery throat diseases and levers. Dr. Parkes in speaking of the prevalence of disease in houses bordering closely on the old city graveyards of London, states that in the cholera epidemic of 1849 the disease was es- pecially virulent and fatal among inhabitants of these houses, that no cases recovered and that all other diseases in these localities as- sumed very violent and unfavorable type The records of the French Academy of Med icine bear testimony to the fact that the pu- trid emanations from cemeteries have caused frightful diseases of the throat and lungs, to which numbers of both sexes fall victims every year. There are many cases of disease on record produced by the opening of graves
 The speedy growth of cemeteries requires new methods for disposing of the dead. There is immense increase in the size of such cemeteries Greenwood, Calvary, Cy- press Hills and others. What great injury the emanations coming from them will do to the neighboring communities, and how many will be buried in the same cemeteries from whose foul odors they caught the diseases which caused death In well-filled cemete- ries the earth frequently becomes so saturated with the putrid corpses that it cannot receive more and throws off an effiuvia that is deadly, and it is safe to say that the lives of grave diggers are shortened one-third by absorb ing these poisonous odors. The wat r from a well near a graveyard must be con taminated. Dysentery is almost always i'm mediately caused by drinking water which has passed through graveyard and sextons who have churches under which there are vaults are very subject to levers. The ob- jection to cremation is simply a feeling of horror at having one's near and dear one burned. It is founded on reverence for the dead and desire to reverence their memo ries. These are objections which must be re- moved. The sentimentalists are mortified by fire and some say it is condemned by the say ing that all bodies will be raised on the last day but the Scriptures do not condemn it. If it were so, where would be the martyrs and Apostles who died at the stake? Be- sides, is it not pleasanter to know that the re- mains while burning are passing back to the clements from which they came; and is it not pleasant after cremationgio gather the handful of ashes which are left, put them in a handsome jar where they will be odorless and inoffensive, beautiful sight to look upon, and revive only pleasant memories rather than reflect that they are putrid and offensive objects under ground, under tomb stones which may not mark the last resting places for many years. and all traces of them may finally be lost. The services around the grave are tender and sweet but the ceremo- ny of cremation, if it is properly understood and solemnly conducted, is no act of disre- spect to the dead, and the jars containing IL, ooIr, ohoc for centuries. Grave-yards then would become bright, beautiful and healthful gardens.
 whfstling to a Squirrel,
 From Forest and strsam.l
 One afternoon last summer when out look ing for game sat down on pile of rails to rest. Pretty soon I discovered in an oak tree some twenty yards away red squirrel stretched at full length on limb taking sun bath. Instead of raising my rifle and sending ball through the little fellow Gts mighty mean sportsman" that endeavors to kill all he sees) decided to give him little pleasure if ] co1ld, so commenced to whis- tie the air of that once popular ditty, q love thee sweet Nora O'Neil." In g twinkling the squirrel was up on his hind legs, his tail over his back, his head cooked to one side, listen ing to me; a moment of irresolution and then he scampered down the trunk of the tree to the ground and started toward me; he came few yards, stopped, and sat up on end and listened again. I was careful not to move, and kept on whisthng; after waiting moment the little beauty came on, jumped up on the pile of rails, ran along within four feet of me, halted, went up on end again. made an umbrella of his tail, tipped his head to one side, looked at me with all the gravity of justice of the peace at his first trial, and yet if ever a creatures eyes beamed with pleasure his did.
 did not move, but after little I abruptly o1o he fo fho RU Chuti Why, with the first note of the diff ferent tune away went the squirrel did not move, only as I shook with suppressed laughter, and as well could kept on whistling. In minute or two back came the squirrel, going through all the cunning manoeuvres of his first approach and once more took a seat before me on the rails. watched him and actually thought, he was trying to quicker up his mouth and whistle Once again changed the tune, this time to ssYankee Doodle, :" and before, with the first note of change away scampered the squirrel Unable to control my disabilities longer. I laughed aloud, and after that couldn't call my little friend To me.
 wonder how many of the so-called "true sportsnnen' ever seek or think of any pleas ure in connection with such beautiful little creatures save the savage and unmanly pleas ure of taking away their lives
 Bishop McNamara held forth again at Allyn Hall, Hartford, Wednesday evening, but as on the previous night, the audience was somewhat limited and confined almost exclu- sively to the male element. He discoursed at length and with considerable feryor on the hopes to see succeed the present Romish rrnat4