The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-03-29

condemned the custom of hanging
Grape on the outer door, as an insignia
of death in the house, and advocated
white flowers as substitute, flowers
are now the style in Brooklyn and
other Eastern cities. Had Gen.
Garfield and General Grant left orders
that their bodies be cremated in order
to save the expense of guarding their
graves from ghOuls, and the rivalry, eX-
cited where they should be entombed,
stock in crematories would now pay
better than the undertaking business.
In nregard to the economic features of
the measure, it will be conceded that
the expense attending funerals at the
present day are, in many instances, eX-
tremely burdensome to the living.
MILLIONS ARE ANNUALLY EXPENDED
in the United States in useless and eX-
travagant display on funeral occasions,
the effect of which is demOralizlng be-
cause it influences Others to compete,
who can ill afford the expense. There is
not gentleman here who has not been
made aware of serious pecuniary en-
barrassment to which family has
been subjected by reason of foolish
pride, that they must on occasion OF a
funeral. equal or surpass the display
made by nelghbor.
How is this evil to be corrected? I'm
questionably by adopting a cheaper
mode of dispOsing of the dead
body. When we have
all-pox, cholera or yellow fever, we
are governed in our care of the sick
and the disposal of thesdead, upon bus
mess principles. Measures are taken
to quarantine the sick and dispose of
the dead, without regard to sentiment.
Why not be governed by the same bus
iness principles in the disposal Of the
dead generally?
The average cost of funeral in
Ohio is not less than $lOO, without con-
sidering the value kof land apprd-
priated to cemeteries, which amounts to
millions. The expense of cremating
the body would be less than One-tifth
of this amount, provided the crematOry
was as near as the cemetery. The
nearest crematory to my place of resi-
dence is distant 100 miles. and yet to
dispose of the body in the righteous
way, by incineratiOn, will cost less than
One-half, after defraying all the expen-
ses of transportation and extra prep
aration, than it would by inhumation.
The medicO-legal aspect involved i'll
the consideration of the question.
should have but little weight when ii is
considered that embalming, now 81
generally practiced, offers as ready
means as cremation of cOncealing the
traces of poison administered to kill.
With the introduction of the new
method, there would doubtless be an
increase of Vigilance--the selection of
a flnCtlonary whose business it would
be, upon the least suspicion, to delay
proceedings and institute thorough
Investigation.
Reforms are proverbially of slow
growth, yet it is source OF gratltica-
ton to know that the ..t r. /
SENTIMENT IN FAVOR or CREMATION
is growing. From small crematoryI
built by Dr. LaMOyne, of Washington,
Pa, for his own family, some ten years
ago, there are now i'll active operation
in this country six or more, one at
Lancaster, Buffalo, Cincinnati, New.
York and Pittsburg. In the latter.
natural gas is employed as fuel. by.
means of which body can be reduced
to ashes in 30 minutes. Incorporated
associations have been formed III most.
of our large cities, for the purpose of.
educating the public and raising funds
preparatory to the erection ora crema-
tory.
Tie civilized portions of the old world
are quite active on the subject. y
crematOrium was completed i'll Paris
last year capable of reducing to ashes
1900 bodies annually. \ cOmmendable
feature in the controversy now being
Waged on the subject is the fact that
most of the writers in favor of inclner-
alton belong to the medical profession.
None are better qualified to Judge OF
the pernicious influence which the dead
exercise over the living. With the aid
and comfort furnished by such men as
LaMoyne, DiO Lewis and DR.. Gross,
who has been the Gamaliel of our pro-
fession, the friends of the new depart
ure may feel encouraged.
The movement has been endorsed as
a sanitary necessity" by tie Society of
Medical Jurisprudence and State Medi-
cine of New York. The American
Public Health Association and the
American Medical Association.
May the time be near at hand when
cremation of the dead shall be srlbsti-
tuted for inhumation, thereby remOv-
ing all danger to the living, at the same
time giving no offense to any Christian
doctrine Intelligent faith or healthy
sentiment.