Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-02-12
CREMATION.
An Interesting Interview with One oil It's
Adherents.

regarding cremation. Mr.. Levy was found
willing to talk upon this interesting sub
ect, and went on TO say
OF all modern reforms to be introduced
| there is scarcely one other that has attracted
so much attention of the scientific world
and of the thinking portion of the Euro
mean population in general than the one
| brought about bv the recent discoveries OF
the eminent German physician. DR.. Koch.
! Cremation had its adherents long. before
| his discovery that the germs OF mice
tious diseases do not lose any OF then
transmitting power, not even after remain
| ing under ground for centuries, but tins,
in connection with the more widely known
ana well understood evils emanatlng from
the close proximity of cemeteries TO large
cities, has aroused to activity the Govern
ments of every civilized nation of Europe
and other parts of the world. DR.. Koch,
of Germany, and Drs. Evart and Carpenter,
of England, are authorities Tor the state
ment that the blood of an animal that
died of splenic fever may be dried and kept
for years and then pulverized into dust,
and yet the disease-germs may survive with
power to produce infection. Such a
fact" quoted from r. E. Williams. A. NJ.
helps make credible the statement of
medical books concerning the origin of
some celebrated epidemics IL 1928 the
plague broke out in Modena, in Italy, as
the consequence of an excavation in ground
where 800 years previously the victims
of the plague had been inferred. AT Eyam,
in Derbyshire an excavation made Il few
wears ago in ground wherein victims of the
plague had been buried in 1865 caused an
outbreak, not of the plague exactly, but of
a malignant epidemic new to that region.
In 1913 the population of Minchinhamp-
ton. England, was nearly decimated by a
disease manifestly caused by using as q
fertilizer for their gardens the rich soil of
an abandoned graveyard" Similar
cases may be cited ad minimum. The
city of San Francisco is rapid
ly extending toward the cemeteries
some OF which are already srlrrounded'by
dwellings that get their supply of drinking
by decaying bodies. The city of London,
England, is similarly situated, and when
in 1884 the great London physician, Sir
Henry Thompson, published as his con-
viction that mo dead body is ever placed
in the soil without polluting the earth, the
air, and the water above and about it, the
saving at once called forth corroborative
response from eminent physicians and men
of science in nearly every part of Europe,
and in some parts of the United States.
Inc Parliament acted wisely in passing
INV regulating cremation, and it may
safely be predicted that it will force itself
upon every large and growing city as the
best, safest and more esthetic mode
of disposal of the dead. But there
is yet another reason why cremation
should be made at least lawful, if not
compulsory. Not few persons, especially
those who had an opportunity to look into,
experience a feeling of horror at the
thought of being put underground and
there undergo all those horrid stages Of
half.a century, and during all that time be
danger to the living, and the chance,
however rare it might be, of coming to life
again after burial is completed, causes a
great many to prefer cremation.
The sanitary advantages, however, gained
by aboliShing interment are of paramount
importance, and are admitted even by those
who do not like to see the old custom
changed. But such liking must give way
to what the public welfare imperatively
demands When DR.. Jenner made his all
important discovery that vaccination is q
sure preventive against smallpox the great
masses of the people We're so prejudiced
against having the vaccination matter
mixed with their blood, that various Gov
ernments of Europe had to make VAGINA
ton compulsory, and it remains so to this
very day. We have to do this in our own
country with the Chinese. The prejudice
existing vet against cremation is on a level
with the prejudice against vaccination.
Nature employs but one destructive
force-burning. 1t manifests itself in the
slow and in the rapid process. The slow
process, commonly called decomposition,
is. in regard to animal matter indescribably
repulsive. and, according to the revelations
of representatives of sanitary science, eX-
ceedingly dangerous to the living. Let any
person who has chance to do so, look at
the remains Of a body that has been dead
for 500 wears. He will find there is moth
ing left but a few handfrls of ashes-iuSt
what remains if natures rapid process is
mployed-destruction by fire, accom-
plishing in one hour what otherwise is done
i'll 800 years.
Your own beautiful Sacramento valley
often suffers from foundations. However
heavy the loss caused thereby may be. il is
insignificant if brought face to face with the
sufferings caused by malarial diseases that
make their appearance after the waters
have receded. These waters take up the
impurities or disease germs of cemeteries
or private burial places of some Out-Of-thc-
way ranches, and on receding find their
way into wells and ponds. After the peO-
pie of this valley shall have come to com
prehend this and establish cremation in
place of burial, their sulferings from ma
laria will decrease to very great extent if
not almost entirely disappear
The Cremation Society OF San Francisco
was incorporated in 1882, with a small
number of members, that increased up to
January, 1884, to 81 and at the present date
we count ia members. This, however,
serves only as a nucleus To thousands OF
and when the Hon. David Nc
Clure introduced in the present Senate
bill to make cremation lawful, il was ac-
by an eXtensively-signed peti-
ton praying for the passage of that bill.
Medical journals. and particularly the
London Lancet. are very strongly in favor
of cremation. The Government of Spain
has made it compulsory during an cpl
dcmic The Italian Government has built
to have the dead from the pub
lie hospitals crematcd The Brazilian Gov
eminent requires the cremation of those
having died of yellow fever Germany,
France, the Netherlands, Denmark, in fact,
all Europe with the exception OF the semi
barbarian States. Russia and Turkey, have
come to understand that question thor
oughly. Even in our own country be-
is made already. DR.. LeMoyne
built crematory in Washington, Pa. and
DR.. sam D. Gross. the eminent physician
Of New York was cremated there last year,
in accordance with his desire. Cremation
Is lawful in New York State. The corner
stone for a cremation furnace was laid there
about two months ago. Besides that, there
are Cremation Associations IN almost every
large city in the United States infusing
knowledge among the masses, and il is 20
be hoped that the much-needed reform will
be brought about within 4 very short time.
THE TIvoLr-" The Child-Stealer'' con
tinues to draw good houses at the Tivol,
and It's production last evening was the best
of the week. The house was well filed,
both in the dress circle and gallery. Miss
Kittie Bclmour, pains-taking actress, APP
pears at her best in the title role of Jane
Rutherford. Miss Josie Belmour as Lady
Marian Chesterton, Il. G.. Marsh as Lord
Chesterton, Frank Richardson as Joe Simp-
son. and Thomas Donley as John Seymour,
"a mechanic slightly underline influence in
the parts they essay, are uneXceptionably
good. The play is one full Of thrilling
scenes. The scenery is new, and some of
II really fine. The play is well put upon
the boards by Frank Richardson, stage
manager. who, by the way closes his en-
this week He has been with
the Tivuli since its first inauguration, and
has made many friends in this city. The
y