The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-03-29
BURNING THE DEAD.
Cremation as a Sanitary and
Economic Measure.
A Splendid Paper Read Before the Ohio
State Sanitary Association by
Dr. Lew Slusser---Inter-
esting to All.

Following is given in full the excel
lent paper of DR.. l., Slusser, OF Canton,
Ohio, upon the above topic:
To compress the work assigned 10
each session of this association WITHIN
the time allotted by the program, Will
not allow the Introduction OF the proof
collected in support of the evils OF Ill
hnmatiOn. We must therefore assume
that the members of this association
are already informed on the subject, II
not from personal knowledge, from re-
ports and publications that have ap-
peared within the last decade.
The aim and object Or TINS asSOcla.
tion is the discussion of questions OF
Sanitation-the edissemiuatiOno otjEllOMl-
edge bearing upon public healtAIthe
inyestipation of causes that produce
sicknesS-create or direct public opln-
ion to the end. that human happiness
NAV be augmented and human lie pro
longed. 3 ,;a,;
of the dead by inhumation is traught
with evil to the living, will be conceueu
by every EOne who has given the SUBJECT
any consideration,
The decomposition OF human lemalns
pollute the soil, the water, and the ar
around about it. Committees compos-
adj of learned scientific men of England
France and Germany, after close and
careful investigation, unite Ill report
ING that water from graveyards CON
tains ammonium and calcium nltrateS
and nitrites, fatty acids, and much or
ganic matter" -
Iefart found well 300 feet from
cemetery "to be largely contaminated
with ammonical salts and an organic
matter. which was left on evaporation;
81 the water, though clean at tIrst, had a
yapid taste and speedily become put
trid" Instances abound illustrating
the fatality attending the consumption
of water contaminated by proximity 10
% graveyards. -, ,..,,,i
terry anu typhoid lever have Oeen ul-
reclly traced to the use OF water from
wells in the vicinity; in fact, SO wen Is
this understood THAI as general thlhg,
such water is not considered poiaDle;
y In 1889 ground was purchased az tlle
outskirts Of the city OF my nome ior
new cemetery. vt the place OF en-
trance to the grounds was well be-
longing tOa dwelling house. FOR years
the visitors to the cemetery were III the
Il.
of stopping at this well to take a drink
of the water. which was considered
verv palatable. No complaint was
made until within the last several years,
IL was frequently remarked that there
was a peculiar taste and smell about 1t.
Last simmer, extensive improvements
were being made, and OH hot, sultry
day. ten or twelve men working near
the well drank freely of the water.
The consequence was that all who par
took of the water were made SlcR-Suf-
fered from nausea and had dlarrhpa.
In the section of the cemetery immedl-
Ately above the well, and within radl-
MS Of $50 yards, there are 5OO bodies IN
TERED. That this well has become VT
lated by DRAWINGS from decomposed
human bodies there can be no DOUBT.
Thu observations of Darwin, ana the
more recent experiments OF IaStellr,
demonstrate beyond question the
great danger of depositing animal re-
mains in the EARTH These experiments
cOncldsiyely show that splenlc fever,
which depends on a specific germ EN-
anatinp. from the dead bodies of ami
mails, Victims of this disease, is prOpag-
ated by these germs being brought to
the surface through the Instrumental
ity of earth worms. The details, as
given at length in publications upon
the subject carry conviction to the
minds OF the reader
We prosecute our Investigations into
the Microme world to little purpose, ii
not disposed to use every means attain
able to suppress or control their opera
tiOns. The common idea, that water
filtered through sand and gravel be-
comes purified, or that the noXious in
gradients are removed, is fallacy.
No liberation will remove micro-organ-
ism. Nothing short of heat, to the boil
ing point, will destroy the septic quail
ties of water, and by some 1t is claimed
that combustion
TO COMPLETE ANNIuILATIoN
is necessary, Instances are upon rec
ord where the removal of bodies of per
SONS who had died from smallpox and
scarlet fever after having been buried
80 years has been the cause OF reviy-
ing the disease III the immediate
uefghborhOOd TO stamp out a
contagious or infectious malady,
or to arrest its progress, lncln-
Grafton should be made general. Its
benefits are limited when confined
to isolated cases. The Oblector should
be compelled to submit, when the pub
lie health is in danger. 1t is well
known fact proven in many instances,
both in Europe and America, that
where a receiving vault is constructed
underneath the chapel mephetic gases
evolved from deCaying corpse and per
heating the auditorium have been the
cause of sickness and death.
fpl,o evil rar11ltc pf iDhr1TO gtiOD heinz
manifest, the question arises, how can
Il he avoided? The idea has been
advanced by many well-meaning per
sons thatit would be better if deCompO-
sition of the body were hastened bv
more speedy commingling with the
earth-substitutin collins of wicker
work or papier .mache. While thatpr
aration for interment would undOubt-
edly shorten the time Of decomposition,
so long as the supply was kept up, the
result would be the same.
There are other objections to inhu
nation bes des the unsanitary as
aspect. We venture the assertion that
there is not a county seat in Ohio, in
which the inhabitants are not annoyed
nv the presence of an abandoned and
neglected graveyard; most of the bodies
having been removed to a cemetery
with modern Improvements, those left
are without friends living who are will
ing to keep up the grounds, and as
consequence, they aro allowed to grow
up with unsightly weeds and left open
to the depredations of roaming ami
mails and Juvenile yandals. In many
instances, as in my own city, the NUM-
cipal authorities are powerless to rid
themselves of the evil, as by late de-
.;r;ov, ~ tha state ponrt land donatad