Milford chronicle., 1885-12-04
BURIED ALIVE.
some Horrible Instances OF PrSma-
ture Interment.


| covery from apparent death on record.
| The following instances of the dangers
of supposed death are related at random
4 from a notebook. Some of these cases
NAV be found in Walker and Chad wicks
works on sepulture; others in various
/ French and German periodicals:
cardinal Somaglia was seized with
severe illness from extreme grief. He
fell into a state Of syncope, which lasted
so long that the persons around thought
| him dead. Preparations were made to
embalm the body. The embalmer had
scarcely penetrated into the cardinals
chest when the heart was seen to beat.
The unfortunate patient who was return
ing to his senses at the moment had still
sufficient strength to push away the
knife of the surgeon, but too late, for
the lung had been mOrtally wounded,
and the patient died in most lamentable
manner"
s.Alr. B.. Of Poitiers, fell suddenly
into a state resembling death. Every
means for bringing him back to life was
used without interruption. His two
little fingers we're dislocated. and the
soles of his feet were burnt; but, as
none of these procedures seemed to pro-
duce any effect, they were on the point
of placing him in q coffin, when some
one recommended bleeding from the
arms and feet, and he, to the great as
tonishment of all, recovered from his
apparent state of death, and declared
that he had heard every word that had
been said, and that his only fear was
that he would be buried alive"
81 af TnkaF
ment occurred not long since at Ton
neins, in the lower GarOnne. The vic
tim. man in the prime of life, had only
a few shOvefuls of dirt thrown in his
grave. when an indistinct noise was
heard to proceed from his co4in. The
gravedigger, terrified beyond descrip-
tion, instantly fed to seek assistance,
and some time elapsed before his return.
A crowd collected in, considerable num-
bers around the grave and insisted on
the coffin being opened. As soon as the
lid was removed it was ascertained be-
yond a doubt that the occupant had
been Inferred alive. His countenance
was frightfully contracted with the
agony he had undergone; and, in his
struggles, the unhappy man had forced
his arms completely out of the winding
sheet in which they had been securely
envelopei. A physician was on the
spot and opened vein. No blood fol-
lowed. The sufferer from inhumation
was beyond the reach of medical art.
"In October, 1887, Mr.. Dechamps. an
inhabitant of Lyons, France, died at the
end of short indispOsition. His obse-
uues were ordered for the next day.
l.. ia .ho,,k 70 ho
nailed down at the funeral the corpse
sat upright in its shroud and asked for
something to eat. The persons present
were about to run away in terror, rs
from phantom, but were reassured by
Dechamps himself, who had happily re-
covered from his legargic sleep. Due
care was bestowed on him, and he lived.
After his recovery he stated that he had
heard all that passed around him with
out being able to make any movement or
give any expression to his sensations"
"a midwife of the commune Of Paul
han. France, was believed to be dead,
and was put in a coffin. At the end of
twentv-fOur hours she was carried to the
church, and from thence to the ceme-
terry. But during its progress the bear
ers felt some movement In the coffin,
when they found the unfortunate woman
alive. She had merely fallen into a
legargy. She was carried back to her
home, but in consequence of the shock
she received, only survived the horrib e
accident few days"
''At Bergerac, on the 9th of Decem-
ber, 1s42, man who suffered from con-
tinual want of sleep took q potion pre-
scribed by physician; the patient slept
so soundly that he could not be wakened,
which caused so much anxiety that he
was bled, the blood flowing feebly drop |
by drop. Finally he was declared TO be
dead. At the expiration of few days |
the potion given to the gentleman was
remembered, and an uneasy suspicion
being entertained that the medicine
might have caused apparent death, led |
the family to exhume the body. When |
the coffin was opened the horrible fact |
was apparent to all present. His dis
torted limbs showed how powerful had |
been his struggle. He had turned around
in his coffin aud suffered long"
MADAM D.. Rue Saint Jean, Caen. |
France, appeared to expire after long
illness on the 18th OF February, 1S43. /
The last functions Of preparing the body
for the tomb were performed during the .
night. On Thursday morning the coffin /
was brought in, and as the two under
takers were placing the corpse in, it .
awOke from profound lethargy. Madam
is now in state of health which leaves
little to hope"
DIR. Gordon Smith, in his book on
"Forenslc Medicine" P" states: 81 was an
eyewitness of an instance in celebra-
ted city on the continent where poor
woman, yet alive, was solemnly ushered
to the margin of the grave in broad day,
and whose interment would undoubtedly
have occurred save for the interposition
Of bystanders.
The daughter of Henry Laurens, first
president Of the American Congress,
when an infant was laid out as dead.
When the window of the room was
opened for ventilation the fresh cir re-
vived the supposed corpse and restored
her to her family. This produced such
a profound impression on Laurens that he
made a will, in which he implOred his
children to cremate his body as a solemn
duty, so great was his dread of living
interment.
In 1863, Martin Strong, of Twelfth
street, Philadelphia, was put in a coffin
for burial upon the death certificate of
DR.. Cumming. Mr.. Strong still lives,
but made narrow escape Cincinnati
Enquirer
Studying HydrOphObIa.
nj IT, =. -. .-as Il. 5...-sL