The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-01

alive before they are really dead. With
scientific appliances and by the methods
that l propose, l think we can venture to
assert that there is no possible Likelihood of
any such terrible error being made, and
that the fear and dread that the ordinary
man or woman is that he may be buried
alive may be done away with"
What are the methods that you propose
to have adop edw
"Well." said DR.. Lee. 81 would, in the
first place, m Ike it mandatory to have a
thorough examination made Of tho body of
every person supposed to be dead. This ex-
animation should, Of course, be made by
the physician aid by means of the best
known scientific appliances. The examina-
ton should be made in accordance with
positive law, SO that it would not be )ssible
to evade 1t las some persons would be apt to
try to do. There are a mum Ier of tests
that can be applied Some of them are as
old as civilization and older.
"Nog, the thing should be done in this
way. In every case where person dies, or
is supposed to have died, competent ply
stefan should at lce be called in No IN
dertaker should be allowed to handle the
body before this is done. The body should
not be placed in an air-tight casket where
life, II 1t be not extinct, is smOthered out,
nor should it be placed in an ice box, where
IL is frozen out. Such treatment Of ,dy
before it has been thoroughly exa ined is
not only barbarous, ut absolutely criminal.
Neither should body be embalmed.
Now as to the tests. l should say that
while they are many the best way to deter.
mine the absence of life would be to attach
the muscles of the vari Us parts of the body
to an appliance connected with electric bat
terles, so taat the very slightest move
ment of the body would cause q bell to
ring and thus occasion an alarm.
You know it is very difficult thing to de-
termine or state definitely just when the
spark of life becomes extinct. The matter
has been much discussed and again and
again valuable prizes have been offered for
some means by which this important fact
might be definitely determined. Howe er,
the test as to whether there is life in the
body that mention is about as sure as any
thai can ue named.
This is a much more important matter
than most pc sons imagine. There never
was time when catalepsy and similar
Complaints were more prevalent than now.
This is especially the case among women,
particularly among ung women. Young
girls working in factories or stores, where
they are under constant strain, mental
and physical, who do not get
Sufficient exercise or relaxation. and
who in some cases are but lily
nourished, are particularly prone TO fits,
cataleptlc and otherwise, and to fall into
frances that to the layman appear to be
death. Under the present system the rela-
tlves OF these glrs can bring in an under
taker, put the body in casket or on the ice,
before calling IN physician, and the result
is that when the latter does come he can do
nothing. 1t is too late. [ feel very strongly
about this matter, and | find that most
othe' physicians do. The present system
should be changed, and that is what our
society is int lded to do. Nothing can be
more horrible than the thought that one
may be buried alive, and yet, as profes-
sional man, | find That there are few per-
sons who are not more or less affected by
this fear. 1t is but natural, and it will ex-
list until the law interferes, lad, assisted by
science, sees to it that every man or woman
who is supposed to be dead is beyond the
shadow of doubt dead before his or her
body is given over to the undertaken for
burialn
Tue men who are pushing this new move
ment are working very quietly, but they
seem very much i'll earnest. Mr.. Morrison,
who is doing the most of the clerical work
of the proposed organization, now in its
formative state, is already receiving letters
from persons living in various parts
OF the country concerning the
society. These are mainly requests
for Information, but the earnest manner in
which the questions are asked indicate that
the matter of premature burial is one that
interests very large class of per sons in ali
walks of life. 1t is this fact that leads the
physicians and lawyers belonging to the
New York Medico-Legal Society, who are
Interested in the new organization, to be-
lieve that it will be successful. It is to be
formally organized at an early day.
DAVID WECHSLER.