Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-24

Sir Henry Thompson, president OF the Cremation
Society OF England, who advocated In Great Brit
AIN fourteen years ago the employment OF crema-
ton as a substitute for burial OF the dead. pub
fishes In the 1NaetesBth Century an interesting
review OF the development OF the system which he
advocates The argument upon the strength OF
which cremation has made It's greatest advances
IN England h the sanitary consideration that some
such method OF treating the dead Is becoming a
necessary precaution against the propagation OF
disease among population rapidly increasing and
becoming large In relation 10 the IL occupies
the same argument has even greater weight in
densely -peopled southern Europe, exposed by Its
climate and conditions OF life to the worst raw
ages OF epidemicS In the use OF the new
method Italy stands among nations at the head OF
The list. The first cremation by improved furnaces
was performed at Milan In 1877, ana up to the LIST
az January, 1857, 463 bodies had been burned
there Similar buildings on a smaller scale have
been constructed at a half-dOZen other Italian
cities Including Rome, and the total number Of
'TematiOns In Italy up 10 January L. 1857 was 7s7.
In Germany the only place at which the practice
has been regularly followed Is GOtha- A building
was constructed there under permission OF the
government, the first cremation taking place in
January, ls7a II has been largely employed
sInee-the number Of crematIons amounting to413
up to the 31st OF october, 1887. Cremation socie-
Iies-some OF them with numerous members and
displaying much activity-have been recently es-
tablished In Denmark, Belgium switzerland, Ho-
land, Sweden, and Norway, and In various parts OF
the United States. where also cremation has been
employed few times In Paris a crematory OF
considerable size has recently been constructed
under the direction of the municipal council.
Cremation Is specially urged by its advocates In
the case Of deaths from certain diseases. II Is
claimed that the poisons OF scarlet fever, enteric
lever typhoidl, smallpox, diphtheria, and mag-
nant cholera, are undoubtedly transmisslble
through earth from the buried body, and that Dy
the act OF ntement we literally sow broadcast In
Vulnerable seeds OF pestilence, many of them des-
tined 20 fructify at some future time In ruined
health or premature death for thousands. other
advantages than the direct sanitary Improvement
are expected by the crematiOnists- For instance
thousands OF acres, yearly increasing in number,
may be restored TO better uses than that of storing
decaying dead bodies. Nine-tenths OF the area
viii be available with due care for ornamental gar
ens for the use OF towns where such exist or after
the lapse OF suitable periods Of time 70 other pur-
poses. IL is also proposed TO restore the purified
remains Of the Christian worshiper to the eonse-
Grated precincts OF his church, whence the "cur
TupIible body" has been forever banisned by ur-
gent sanitary necessity; To deposit the ashes in
clOistsrs On the disused burying ground, after re-
hgious ceremonies are performed, or to eonsign
them, harmless, TO the soil, giving truth and re-
alIty TO the grand and solemn words: "Ashes to
ashes, dust TO dust"
The soil OF the United states Is not yet dense
~ populated as To bring home the main arguments
az the crematiOniSts, but among the Responsible
ties which will fall upon the nation with the quick
multiplication OF its millions is that OF adopting
some method OF treating the body after death !
which will prevent the dead from poisoning the |
living.