Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-05-10
CREMATION OF THE DEAD.

Oar mciviizad ancestors buried their
dead The Greeks and Romans, when they
had attained Ia y degree Of civilization in
.nary respects higher than or OWE. burned
their dead. TIE custom Of burial became
more general in Europe rs Christianity
spread L cones down to Us in some way
associated with Christianity, though here is
10 real association. The Hebrews from
tiu@ iu,snur!ai bur;eti ,neir Gei;', aud
Therefore Wheu !ua i,aiio,:s Of EuI0pe &c
y.,,:;.,: Il teor@E veiiS Si@a, ~i.i"!! was al ad-
vaLr.. up0t .aatr oEcu i!"pur. i,oiytncis!n,
tn.. a. nz sau!g t:m3 accepted me E2hr""
ga. ...u oi burial. Ii IS frequently IN" cas-"
iilav 81 advance il one direction l. accom-
ituigG with Ye;rogi2&si9n il Somc other.
Tie advance mag s,o greater in3n the retro
mrr-.un. vet nevertheless the S.ip-tdo
backsli}mg-oucurS. The adoption Of bHrial
was facilitated by tn" pious. or rather inl-
pi0us, 13tioa thas The cremation q! The icad
Was in some way inimical to their resurrcc-
tion--as Though an o.nIiroteut God would
.iud ]: laure diiiCui. TO gather the atoms
together in tur one case than III tho otau:'.
The buried ncdy decays, and its substance
returns TO simple. chemical compounds-
to water, gases ana earthly matters that
should enrich the soil and cause tood
to grow for mankind. But by our pes
tiferous modes OF burial we prevcht rs
long as possible the process Of change, and
take care to concentrate bodies III our burial
places that thc gaseous, liquid 3nd solid
products Of decomposition poison ar and
soil ana water. ana SOW disease and death
among tic living. UAconei burial in
earth, rs::a:iailv nith the accompaniment
q lime. would itself he q vast improvement
upon thY oaskcJs OF wood ana l!etai With
which sorro"iug relatives endeavor 10 hold
togcthc! ihe dis:o!v;ng form.
Properly conducted, cremation docs away
yiih all these evils. The body is at onc2
rcaucaG 10 inrocilDlls materials The water
auG g;tscS attG thCir volume - the at!boS-
pnprc. %hiic the salts Of limc, potash, etc,
thaJ are incJMl;Is!ibe, re;aain - ashes.
Tn:. s..f.,imentQliv disposed can store these
a.!,rs, as di,i The Romans, in IL cinerary urn,
wilhuut fear Of Infection of perception al
uush; ha, is disagrccabc.
IN sunuy Italy the descendants Of Tbs o:'l
| HomauS, Christians Of thG oldest @"nom'na-
| ;ion, have, spite OF their admiXtnra "ijh
.,,,, Goth aaG the Lombard, aua o. tner
IanZ practice Of burial il cataCoinba
ana cemeteries, largely adopted ihe
custom Of their foreiathers. The tra;il-
| tlOn OIL Inc race .icre cUiDeS III ~ s'iu
| il; he enforcement o! tie lessons OF modern
sanitary science; but we, tie too proud de
sccndants Of races that were savage as
papuans when Rome bad completed the
conquest Of Italy and accomplished the
ruin of Carthage, are slow to learn better
ways.
The cremation OF DR.. ). D. Gross i5 Il
solemn Lesson 10 the conservative advocates
Of sowing death by burial III collins and
there is no doubt it was meant rs such. IN
advocate Of cremation during life, he wished
in death to do his hest to enforce :: lesson of
morality. Throughout long life useiu
u,emGer OF society. the celebrated physician
did not wish to become an injury to it attcr
death. He might have left his body to he
tIissecicI iar the benefit Of those young
doctors wh2, under existing laws. lind it SO
difficult to properly learn their profession.
Others haze done this; but he saw greater
evil 10 be yemedicd, for ne knew that the
ruin caused ry expensive funerals, the ex-
posure Is thc grave, the aickcnng decom-
position il catacomhs and collins III vaults.
and the accumulation Of corpses in ceme-
;erics close TO human habitations, destroy
mor, lives than all The able physicians OF
the world can save.-Philadciphia Record.