St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-03-24
PREMATURE BURIAL.
Instances of the Kind Probably
Very Rare.
Some Reported Cases of Doubtful Anthem
ticity-Cases of Heart Disease
and Trance Where Death
Is Simulated.

tits usually matter of no difficulty
to determine that death has closed the
drama of life. The cessation of the
hearts action and of breathing, the
pallor and shrunken condition of the
features, caused by the stopping Of the
circulation; the icy GOODNESS Of the ex-
tremities, which rapidly advances until
. the animal heat has disappeared from
every part; and, lastly. the rigidity
which usually soon stifens every, mus
cle--all these indicate that the spark of
life has forever left. its corporal in
vestment. But some of these signs, of
the dissolution of life may be missing.
Life may still exist while the body is
cold and rigid. The mind may continue
to operate when not the faintest futter
can be felt or heard when the ear or
stethoscope is applied over the heart,
and when no trace of moisture can be
detected when the coolest mirror is
held before the nose and mouth. These
instances are, fortunately, extremely
rare. butt q sufficient number of them
have bbeen recorded, by trustworthy
Observers. to cause many nervous indi-
viduals to shudder when the bare pos
sibility of such an. experience is sug-
gested, or even when this last great
change to which mortal man is subject
Is referred to in any directly personal
manner. fss 81 $ E
Some reported instances of prema-
ture burial, especially those of ancient
date, are extremely doubtful. Such
are many of those in which bodies have
been, exhumed years after burial and
f found with fingers clinched. an ex-
preston of distress upon the counte-
nance, and those others reported to
have turned over in the coffin, until
the position was found greatly changed
from that assumed when the funeral
rites were celebrated. In the process
of decomposition gases are liberated in
great quantities, distending all the
cavities of the body as well as the
minute interspaces to be found every
where, in every tissue. When decom-
position has taken place rapidly, as
after death from some of the infectious
diseases, these gases may be evolved
with such rapidity as to change the
position and appearance OF the corpse
in most remarkable manner. In
some of these affections, and these are
the diseases most apt to occur in epi-
deinic form, and consequently they in
crease the risk of too hurried burial,
many good observers have witnessed
muscular movements of considerable
extent. In every epidemic Of Asiatic
cholera and of yellow fever such post
mortem movements have been. or
might have been, seen. When death
occurs rapidly in one who has been in
: apparent good health, it is likely that
all the conditions for such movements
are present. In cholera, although for
several hours before the fatal event the
body may have been Of corpse-lke
GOODNESS. yet shortly after death the
temperature may rise to nearly the
highest degree noticed in the malig-
nant fevers during the height Of the
disease, When the muscular move-
ments, such as opening and closing
the hand, bending OF the arm at shout
der and elbow, raising the arm above
the head, placing it across the breast.
are observed they generally occur
when this remarkable rise of tempera-
ture is still present In yellow fever
%ha SOMA class of movements of mus
cles and rise In heat are to be noticed,
but not usually preceded BY the de-
preston OF temperature before death,
TO be observed in cholera When the
burial is hurried. as it frequently has
TO be in extensive epidemics, the
chances of such movements taking
place after interment arc greatly IN
creased. Hence. when death has re-
suited from such a cause, and long
afterward it is noticed that tae body
has changed its position, there is no