The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-03-25
BURN OR BURY?
MEETING OF THE NEW YORK CHE
NATION SOCIETY.
AP Advocate OF IncineratIOn SETS Forth
Its Advantage a. q Means or Dis.
poalng or Ihe Dear Departed
Horrors and Dangers Of Grave
Yards Graphically Told.

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Cremation Society, which is growing rap
idly in members, held meeting in Cooper
Institute last evening to listen To lecture
on "The Disposal OF the Dead, q Plea iol
CremStion," by Edward ]. Birmingham
N, D. Among the gentlemen present
were DR., H, NJ. Welles, United States
Navy; Medical Inspector Bloodgood
United States Navy, and Jos. NJ. Hslif,
United States Army. A number OF Off.
GERS OF the army and navy were proposed
for membership.
After the routine business was transact.
ed Dr.. Bloodgood was introduced az the
speaker Of the evening. He thought the
most enthusiastic opponents Of cremation,
and the strongest adherents oil the form OF
burial now In general use, were simply
those who were carried away by sentI.
mentalism, love OF old customs, and de.
sire In the old fashioned way to pay q last
token Of respect to the departed dead
ones. He hoped that by the mere recital
OF the facts q spirit oil inquiry would be
awakened, which was all that was needed
70 convince the most skeptiCal OF the actu.
81 danger to health and lie. II wss Ren-
etally acknowledged that the air exhaled
from the dead, II breathed 10
concentrated form, would prove
fatal, and that even when diluted BY the
surrounding atmosphere It would lower
the standard Of health. Analysis Of the
ar In grayeyards has given positive proof
ot its deleterious nature. In vaults the air
contains carbonic acid, carbonate Of am.
monium, hydro.sulphurlc acid, and organ.
70 matter, Of which the fungi and germs OF
insutoria abound. DR.. Angus Smith has
found that three volumes oil Carbonic acid
per 600 caused great leebleness OF circu.
lallon, while respiration was quickened.
These ELECTS were perceptib when the
amount was % low as one volume per
1000, The diseases that prevail in and
near grayeyards are dysenlerY, throat dis.
eases and levers. DR.. Parkes, In speaking
oil the prevalence OF disease in houses
bordering close on the old city grayeyards
OF London, Atates that In the cholera epi.
demic OF 1919 the disease was especially
Virulent and fatal among the inhabitants
oi these houses, and that no cases recov.
cred, and that oil other diseases n these
localities assumed very violent and un.
favorable type.
The records Of the French Academy oil
Medicine bear testimony TO the fact that
the putrid emanations from cemeteries
caused trightful diseases Of The throat and
lungs, TO which numbers OF both sexes
iall victims every year. There are many
cases OF disease on record produced by the
opening otgraves. The speedy growth oil
cemeteries requires new methods for dis.
posing OF the dead. There is an increase
in the size oil such cemeteries as Green.
wood, Calvary, Cypress Hill, 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 ordors they
caught the diseases which caused
their death. In we'll filled cemeteries the
earth frequently becomes 80 saturated
with the putrld CorpseS that 1t can not
receive more, and throws of an eflluvia
that 10 deadly, and 1t is safe to say that the
lives ot grave.dlggers are shortened one
third BY absorbing these poisonous odors,
The water from a we'll near graveyard
must be contaminated. Dysentery 10
almost always Immediately caused by
drinking water which has passed through
graveyard, and sections who have church.
es under which there are vaults are very
subject TO ievers.
The objection TO cremation is simply q
feeling of horror at having ones near and
dear one burned. It Ia founded on rever.
enCe for the dead, and q desire 10 rever.
enCe their memories. These are objections
which must be removed. The senti.
mentalists are Mortified by Gre, and some
say II is condemned by the saying that all
bodies will be raised on the last day, but
the Scriptures do not condemn 1t. II II
were 80 II would be with the martyrs
and Apostles who died at the stake.
Besides, is 1t not pleasanter to know
that the remains, while burning are
passing back to the elements from which
they came, and is II not pleasanter, after
cremation, to gather the handful OF ashes
which are left, put them in q handsome
jar where they will be odorless and inof.
lensive, q beautiful sight 10 look upon,
and revive only pleasant memories, rather
than reflect that they are puttid and often.
sive objects Under ground, under tomb.
stones which may not mark the last rest.
Ing places for many years, and all traces
Of them may finally be lost2 The services
around 0 grave are tender and sweet, but
the ceremony OF cremation, II II is prop.
erly understood, and solmenly conducted,
lB no act OF dlsrespeCt 10 the dead, and the
jars containing their remains may be left
In the church for centuries. Graveyardg
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