Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-31
BURIAL vs.. CREMATION.
Paper Read Before tho Medical soeie-
q Of Virginia October -, 1855.

BURIAL W.. CREMATION.
Paper Read Before the Medical soeIe.
~ Of Virginia October -, Isss.
Mr.. President.-ln attempting r briei
discussion OF this snbiect think II proper
/ 20 say that hardly expect 10 do justice n
/ my side o. the question from the fact that
4 have never read a line in favor % Chris
/ tian turial, or ialmmation, while ]
have examined carefully two ESSAYS
! 10 advocacy Of cremation. What ]
/ shall say, therefore. VIII have at
| least the recommendation OF originality u
/ nOi The force ~ research. Before 50 Intel
| ieeEi an audience. however. ] have no
fear, should nv reasoning be sound, that
| il all fail 81 appreciation. Until the read
ING 81 the essay AZ the last meeting OF this
| society 10y our distinguished fellow, Dr..
! Chancellor. and until ! learned that Or.
| Gross and one or two other distinguished
| persons IN this country had become adyO-
cafes 81 what have always regarded with
| due respect 10 The other side heaibenisb
custom, / had not thought TIE subject
worthy Of serious consideration.
There u growing disposition IN this are,
ard especially in ihis country, 10 dsprcciste
- old landmarks" We talk about adj
yanced thought" Because the world goes
~ steam. and thought by electricity, we
imagine We are far superior % our fore
fathers in mental vigOr. Had The Greeks
early IN their history learned the ar; 81
printing. bow far would thy have sur-
passed ~ in other things besides language,
poetry. and srt!
There j. no evidence that The human
brain il any bigger or broader now than il
Wa 1000 year, ago. The capacity 10 rea-
son and The powers Of Imagination were
just "a strong then ~ now. The question.
s. tai 20 DO with the dead was reasoned
out ~ tie bereaycd father snd mother then
Just - We would reason The matter out ~
4 new question: now.
TIE FIBsT DEATH IN TEE FAMILY.
We do not believe the iirst d" death IN the
family VA that q q l)aTwinsu mOl@ts.
nor are We certain lhst il was Abel. II the
latter. the cause q death did not need eX-
panstiou 80 much a. n there had been no
marks % violence upon the body. If the
FIST death was ny disease i must have been
full Of solemn mystery. II Is not difficult
90 imagine with what awe and dread the
fond parents called 70 The dead for rec0gui.
flon-buw they morcd TIE body and opened
The closed eyes. hoping - see the light Of
intelligence. How bOih mother and father
SIT down 10y the bedside and Pioneered the
sad mystery. and bow they said one % the
other. viii fearful cye,. " bat stall we do;
Alas, what could they DO; There i no
doubt think that the Federal Head. a.
Divine. called him, The first man, Wa, o. per-
feet organization both IN mind and BODY.
and J suppose the same may De inferred OF
me Lfsl Womb "hu I~t 'o- 'tu'i '1t! -tNt
% Ihis question W Aa. 'H-! we % Wild
our ut-u utI '.>' 'h'"- " J. II
su'!,ct o. 'eu't~i. lHf '' vs. On -
va I'i yea "l''u thy a. l-'t''
t.rte Things ilal CoulI ue COZ. VIZ ~
'ou!-lo ".'' uiSl. o., llIc>,i N' "' '.N''''
/" uui1 ]" tlA o. ~ .",n H.
81 . nor 'HA" ~ ga 80 ''..i'
., A''A, 10 i4t,'i', -'"' - ~ 80
MY "a>h'd tnu 'i1u I'D Si'"t. ram =. ''i u
iri ID some SAL que" i,''y' D''' y
~ '''~ V,'..-i d.
80 go. 'N' W. D.''.'''- '.' -''''
'' "4'' ,l'"'- az '-I- ~ci- - 1,'
- i.l' LI." 80. -' .,,,- :.
80. - - as. 80,
..t,..., 7. ,,-.,i7 -, -,
I'"' %. 1919 -. ~
--.H' l'So, - ~ -. - -..-T
go -.
.-ta' &. .''l W ~. 80 - "a. -.
lecl, o' IIt utn ~ i.'-'u lo ~, D,u'' .Iu
,L, " s' ~ In, -'ie -, 1'' - Wv
", i,'' ~ ~. - N, .., -. 49,,
80, ~, r., ~,
- s.-Ii,rt -, - 6is.ee-;r,c-rqile feeI. q
0.,-f' q, 49,. -,or,es t.st r,ar,i,lr., som
-. liz, r,., vet r,r.oii Ne can't AZ
.-.,'.t,i-. - ,5.oss o..,r-,tio-. yvbs,f,
-, nj t,.o 70. - mo f,ofv v,uid i,.
- di4rr,,it, Fvorvtbio, would be
,,-,ci,,,. m ne som - M Lcre.vod one.
- ,i., -, -, tl,e 1,,5v v,s the only ,lf.-.
,,s.,rg II va. s..~-,lr u-s--,.J. mi.
G~,I-Iss. .r5 whether IN = BOX az
-.f f. wa .1.r,.j r-.- p,~ hons.
Instinct ir ;lis case confirms and CORE
.ronds with re..oD. Il is Z weI-known
haiit with many animal. % bury o1er-
We and exclcrgeutIvc natter. while The
,.boj. sfi,aal kingdom ~ from IRE. Thee
no and di.lkcs are stamped iuIelisn
mon our nature. Tho fact !, nature ufy,-
c,,,t,o4lcis hera.lf. When The animal ur..
ID. of..szs matter into Tho earth = (.
mi whore il is 81 once di,irfco'e1 and
rendered harmless. N0i only so, j. COM
peu.a,e, ile carit for M service ty in-
crc.slns ber icIiitY. hl- dir> r5-
"oIE. ItlIs j appears 'bAt llr wac il+lr
man n-ie luc earn also. LIh' l't '-I
and socsd-.4u', ibeE .rH pain.y 'lt
~ ORR q TIE sane hama 6u- N!ha.
some one VII s,y- hli pn'rcil9n i
Toe shrouu from cofrupLonf AiIel q! t1e
Imagination, i ~ooins TIE feelings.
bow ciifn @itT ine aalilt 90 vs. see '1e
solder iafe Tie "l4nEei DE- manson - nuc1
httcs ana wrap j al'ah. 'H' "'lt q ul'
cead coAface. = q s.li pl lfpst,ii'A IF.H
ibt tgla camp eeFiAf =. - tlt same ldf"
prevails. The dtaa body j. WTApIFu ~
canvas. poor protection rom iu- c]i-
waters. and gently io"erfl lh,o ll- s-a.
Poor human nature does the b">i shc can.
TN, 3. al mere sentiment. laws oHf. Grant
e. A man wlthcu; sentiment i' TIy
poor affair. Without >t'iileni lIeIt can
Dc no poftTy-uo refinement DO utrH-'iA.
We 6cI.ye IN reycrenii-i respect 10y TIE
dead. We btieVe 10 cuefI'l'a- iut
memory. ard 10 iNllelEg i'h -lh'h., 10 inc
~ooc and WISE. lie is prllc VINO i13h'
with InlIheTence upon iAt 1e4d soIN 81 hls
ineId. il We revere i1t 0'a- VIZ VIII
guard wen Iler f'>liu--i lA'e.
TIE Dad SHOULD II N a sEcrEl PLACE.
Notblur i more rfuu.sfve than TIE
tlourl,t our dead VI be disturbed
We desire them 10 ..re,; In peaee." T8i.
j. human nature CYery Wnere. The Gre
matorv urn does not fulm thi, natural de-
,!re. Nothing f. more hahle % loss and