Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-22
A VERY DIsAGREKABLR SUBJECT OF
GREAT IMPORTANCE

The question of the decomposition of the
bodies of the dead, and its effect upon the
living, is \ very disagreenble subject. But
it is one that must be met, discussed and
acted upon. The progress of the age will
not permit it to be ignored. If science
has established anything as a certainty it
has demonstrated-an there is nc earthly
use to deny the propositions First, that
our system of burials in the earth is the
poorest and least defensible of all systems; !;
second, that we not only follow our dead
to the grave. but by our methods Of burial
we follow them into the grave; third, that
one Of the very worst things we can do, so
far as anything can affect the health, is to
visit cemeteries fourth, that the burial of
bodies in the earthcontaminates the ground,
which gives off disease germc and poisons
those who. especially at certain seasons,
are exposed. In recent article in the
Princeton Revie,o, by Rev. J. 3. Beugless,
THE subject is deliberately discussed. It
becomes the more interesting because of
recent developments showing that for
years the legal requirement as to she depth
of graves has not been observed. This
may not be pleasant fact tc ,contem-
plate, but it should be considered
Notwithstanding; and instead of be-
ing avoided, it must be very gravely
and thoughtfully viewed and acte5 upon.
In the article in question the essayizt cites
what is well known to all chemists and
scientists, and to all weN read people. un-
palatabie though the truths may be-,that
the sleep of the grave is IN fact process
of loathseme decomposition. That sooner
or later this must go on in all cases &c its
fullness, as in the wise order of nature
prescribed. That however we may bury. by
embalming, by sealing in metallic cases. 10y
Enclosing il, stone coffins, tie decay, wisiof
Is oxidation, must come about, and all on.
processes to preserve the loved remasns
are only postPouements of tie inevitable,
and in harmful resistance to natural pre.
oesses. We should, therefore, instead Of.
retarding, presaote the acts of nature, nct
only out of respect to our dead, but out Of
regard fer orr living Cremstion, then,
which is wholly inotfensive, forever dis
pels the thought of rotten corpsss, and is
in the interests Of sanitary scienoe, should
supplsnt our ignorant and really ;nhumau
methods of buriGl in the earth. As our
essayist well puts 81, it is quest;0n only
between an hour at the cleauly erema-
torium, and ther decent dispseal of
the handful of harmless ashes, or the slow
process of rotting under ground IL the
most lOathsome wag imaginable. Sir
Henry Thompson says no dead body is
ever placed in the ground without pSEut-
ing the earth, the air and the water about
it. A decaying human body, gives off. cay
the chemists, water, nor-volatile minerale,
carbonic acid, carburetcd and sulphv.
reted hydrogen, ammozia, nitrous and
nitric acids, and several other offensive
and dangerous organic Tapors. The at.
mosphere of a thickly.poprlated cemetery
contains double the quantity of carbonic
scid gas and other noxious gases that ia
found in a normal atmosphere. In the
spring of the year, when the opening earth
releases these noxious vspors more freely
than at other times, it is only at great
risk that porous soil, where the dead re-
pose, can be visited. Multitudes sicken
and die, and wonder is expressed that such
should develop the special diseases that
take them of, who unquestionablyI eee:yed
the disssse germs from the soil of eeme.
teries. The germs of zymotic diseases
ere prevalent il the vicinity of !
Koch of Germany and Ewars
and Carpente- of England have demon.
ssrased that the blood Of animals dying of |
spIenic fever, thoggh dried, puIverized and |
kept for years, is still capable Of reproduc-
ing the disease. Passsur, by positive ex.
Dsriments, has shown that earth worms