Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-10

Why DIR. Gross Wanted an Autopsy on
His Body and the Remains Burned
Instead Of Being Buried.

Why DR.. Gross Wanted an Autopsy on
His Body and the Remains Burned
Instead OF Being Buried.
Four gentlemen with a sad expression
Of countenance passed through the gate
way of the Pennsylvania Railroad station
last evening, says the Philadelphia Rec
ord Of the sth inst, and boarded the 9:1O
train for Pittsburg. The party consisted
Of A. Halter Gross, DR.. Horwitz and his
son, and a medical friend. They acted as
the escort tothe remains of the late Prof.
sorsSamuel d. Gross. which were on their
way to the LeMoyne Crematory at Wash
ington, Pa, to. be reduced to ashes. The
dead body of the distinguished man was in
cased in a casket covered by a wooden
box in one of the Adams Express cars at
the head of the train. 1t was the fact that
this trip had to be taken which caused
the relatives of the deceased to maintain
secrecy regarding the date of the obse-
quies. The brief notices of the Profess
sOr's death caused some comment, but it
was generally supposed that the arrange
ments for the funeral had not been COM
pleted.
The family knew of the fathers wish,
having been apprised Of it frequently; but
it was not until the will was read that it
was learned he had adhered to his often
expressed ideas. When it was opened
there were found to be full directions for
the care of the body after death. Every
effort was to be made to prevent show.
He directed that an autopsy should be
made upon his remains, and named the
persons who were to perform the opera
ton. He also declared that his body
should be cremated and the ashes placed
in the family vault at Woodland Cemetery.
PrOf.Gross had long been in favor of crema-
ton, and frequently expressed himself
upon this question without reservation.
Once he remarked to friend shat he did
not desire his body to lie in the ground
and rot, and have some one come along
100 years from now and find his jaw-bone."
He favored cremation upon general n.y.
gienic principles as being of greater bene-
fit to the living, rather than having hun
dreds of bodies decOmposing in the
ground. 1t was at one time thought that
be had been dlssuaded from this idea, but
the opening OF the will made it certain he
had not.
The autopsy upon the remains was
made yesterday at noon. 1t was conduct
ed by DIR. j. Ewing Mears, ami there were
present Professor Jacob NJ. Da Costa and
DIR. Adinell Howson. At the request of
the family the full result of the post NOR
tenn examination will not be made known
until some future time. 1t disclosed the
fact that the brain was very large, such
as was to be expected to be found pos
sessed by a man of such brilliant attain
ments. The heart and other organs dis
closed as healthy condition as could be
expected in man of advanced years.
After the autopsy the remains were placed
in plain casket and prepared for trans
pOrtation.
AS the shades of night fell little party
of distinguished physicians (personal
friends of the deceased) and the male
members of the family gathered in the
chamber of the dead at the residence of
the deceased, southeast corner of Eleventh
and Walnut streets. Here religious SER
vices were held, conducted by Rev. c..
George Currie, d. D., rector of st. Luke's
Protestant Episcopal Church. There
wee not more than a dozen persons pres
ent. When the last prayer had been Of
fered and the rector had withdrawn, the
family and friends took leave Of the re-
mains. They were then sealed up and
carried to the railroad station.