The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-06-28

gnef, TOT the sake of puohc health oeao body is cremased. So much tor the his- tory ot cremation. The Greeks and Ro- mans universally practioed i,-and they are our standards in a classical ednca- uor.
 This brings me to consider the health statistics or the hygienic argument in ia vor of cremation. People will drink wa ter. The German immigrants are trying hard to wean us from this togy habit; but many of Us still drink water. Then we mus, consider what effect burying people has on the vital statistics of wa ter. An, il has much-very much. The earth is porous and water soaks through Il. and permeates t in all directions | and when it strikes stratum of clay. through which 1t can no, peroola,e, i, runs on. and on, until i; hnds basin or well into which it flows. Now, when a graveyard is near, even miles away, from well, the water that has thoroughly soaked all the corpses until it is completely favored with fresh corpse, old corpse, dried corpse, half-worm-eaten corpse, decayed corpse, melted corpse, old bones, and dead filth generally, goes on its way re- joicing in its loads of fresh material for all the diseases known to man, together with several new combinations with which j; ;s prepared .c invent new dis eases, and scatter new misery all around. Thus loaded this water goes around. and very evenly distributes itself into all wells within miles around. This has been proved by actual experiments. Now. if people will drink water that has soaked corpse, it were much healthier 10 soak it while II is fresh, and then drink the wa ter, than to bury 1t, and let il decay, and then drink the water of oi il. The lat ter is much more unhealthful, and creates more disease than would ensue from drinking water in which fresh corpse had been soaked. Only few days ago a lot of childen in New Jersey contracted scarlet fever from eating ice ,ha, an un dertaker had thrown in the street from a corpse that had died with scarle, lever. This should be sufficien, warning 10 people not 10 eat any ice favored with scarlet fever. Applause and laughter. ]
 Then, in New Orleans, in 1853. !; was found that certain par; of the city had more than twice the death ra,e of any other portion. Investigation led 10 the discovery that a cemetery n the lated quarter had been breathing death to all. Then you all remember ,he fine expert ment of Dr. Wha; s. His-Name in South America last year. He dug up lot Of earth from where hundreds of yellow fever patients had been buried. and ex- amined il through a microscope. He found l; to be ,eem;ng with the same disease germs discernible in corpse which had died of yellow fever The learned doctor ,hen scattered the cadav- er-favored earth around in a careless manner among the wells and springs to try another experiment. IL was grand and beautiful success. And the mos, malig- nant and fatal yellow fever epidemic broke out in few weeks ever known in that region. This was undoubtedly very tough on he natives, bu: i. vas scientiic. It proved how yellow fever originates, and tells us never to scratch up dirt from a yellow fever graveyard 10 flavor water. or scent the air. Such water is no, worth cent. Groans and cries of put him out
 In Union Square, New York. . blue mist arises every morning and long ob- servation and repeated experiments have demonstrated the fact that TO ch,ldren can be reared on or around this square People keep trying, but the children either all die or have to be moved away. It has come to light that Union Square was formerly a cemetery, and this blue mist is nothing but the noxious vapors arising from the earth where laid those who have long been missed on the walks of life. How deadly appropriate. These who have died revisi, earth as poison ous mist that others may De missed from the earth. Cheers, and tremendous ap- plause, mingled with loud weeping
 All this teaches us tha, burying people is a dangerous habit. Ii is barbarous. Few ever survive i., and VIC should all put our shoulders .o the shovel, and spade, and pick, and forever banish them as instruments of graveyards for baying our dead.
 Then look at the advantages and con- veniences of cremation: l, is cheaper than burying. An ordinary funeral gen. orally costs the bereaved suryivor from