Telegram-herald., 1890-06-08
PREMATURE BURIAL
4 SOclsty 90 Prevent People non
B@-ng Buried Awe.
A 49, fsre FAysles4a s04aas tks Al1Eza-
- Doust I14E May fsEs0as srS
Bsxlsa Alive Esssy 1s2F-Bvz
n aufs1cs - FreEe1& Il.

gcorrslss1 lsso 81 sACzE-LEz %
Ars msa aa3 seaasa fEss ssatly bur-
I'D alivsi
are oar ave saeh zs q permit OF TO
hasty intsrmsnts II Psrsols Supposed
T. bs dsAd. bls are nos dead a. a.
Are thsrs cpsa sssnuss tor tie de-
straetion OF human lie ia this wsy
Thsss questions are being much dis
eusssd izst nov, snd tie discussion Is
aboot 10 result IA the formation of
society tEat a is Nsy siI bs uaique
sad that will engage IA woEk such IS
10 other orgaaizztlon IL tais county
a. lzasE does
The society = a. yet ouly IN its form
alive stage, bat a good many PToml-
nsnt u-en are interested In Il and II Viii
soon he al established fact, and while
it viii - forasd ia Nsw York city, u
viii also extend throughout shs coun-
Try This organization Will be SO
eisty for the prevention Of premature
burial, and ths gentlemen composing II
are OF tAs opinion that great many
persons are prsmatursly buried
There can lie 40 doabt that thsre Is q
fear Ia tie minds OF many persons that
they may be buried alive.
Almost any physician can tell Of per
sons who have exaeted promises that
after their apparent death every means
known 20 science would be used TO
fully demonstrate the real presence Of
death
The growth Of the practices of crsnlA-
tion. and il j. growing IN the neighbor-
hood OF New York at least. as figures
show. Il by many ascribed 10 tho hor-
ror that people have Of burial AZ all,
and especially of lingering death By
snffocation. There are fsw persons who
I have net heard stories Of bodies that
upon disinterment gave every indica-
tioa OF having gone through some fear
fulstruggle after the burial.
The aen who are organizing this new
society do not believe that ali these
tales are untrue. The chief mover in
the new movement. and its originator,
IN fact. . Simon =. Leo, n. D, of hew
York city; and among others who are
authorities IN the matter are CLARK
Bell. the President Of the hedico-Legal
Socistv. Dr. Worcester Beam, Henry
Morrison, a prominent New York law
yer. and several other. The matter
has already been discussed at meetings
of the Medico-L Legal Society, and IL was
from such discussion that the present
movement sprang.
There are, of course, some difference
OF opinions as to the exact methods that
will De adopted by the society when il
is formally organized. There are thos'
who favor the method employed IL
some parts of Europe, where the body
OF a person supposed 10 be dead IS KEEP
for certain length Of time IN mortu
airy houses, bells beingso arranged tha
upon tho slightest movement they vii
ring and attract the attention of tn
attendants who are constantly oI
guard in the building. However, ther
are many other methods. Or. Leo, tn
chief mover in the new society, has has
absut as many opportunities to judg
of tho different methods of treating
persons supposed 20 be dead as any maj
that can be named. AS student il
Heidelberg. Rs an observer in Paris anC
as a practitioner in St. Bartholomew
] Hospital in London, es medical exper
employed by the city of New York 70
) some fourteen years, and latterly as
physician with 3 large private practic'
he has had chances srcn as few me-
have 70 acquire knowledge on this par
ticulsr subject.
Or. Leo is most decidedly of til
opinion that persons are only too fire.
ouently buried with o degree Of hurr
and carelessness that is scandalous
not criminal He discussed this mat
ter very freely the other day with tn
writer. He did not at all mince words
: but spoke out plainly and emphatically ly
Il think. and have thought for man,
years. said the doctor, that people i
very numerous instances exhibit yer
undue haste in asserting that life is Ell
tinct, in persons supposed TO be dead.
"You mean then that as a resul; o
the system people are often burie
alive e.
.'No, don, say that exactly. 4
+, say. however. that the means Of say in
! whether they are dead or living are nc
applied as they should be. the resul
, being that IL Ia quite possible for pc
! sons TO be buried alive. and there
reasonable probability that som
> persons are
Have you ever seen cases where
? person supposed 70 be dead was resIl
found ont not 20 be dead at AL :"
, II have. There have been man
} such cases. can recall two that can
q under nv notice in New York. One vi
a tho case of gentleman. now living
= New York city. who was pronounce
T. dead while in Cnba and preparation
: were made 20 bury him. In fact. th
g funeral was being held. when his CO
n orsd servant insisted that ne had see
e atwitchiug Of the muscles Of the su
, posed dead mar Another eEsminatic
8 Of the body rss made, and. SUI
Z enough. that man was found 20
= sHve Fsis alive now. and is pro-
4 porous merchant in New York city {
. Gay.
z There IL another case that came u
d der nv notice in Nsw York. Among n
3 patients. some years ago. there was 81
= who va possessed IF fear ri belr
b1ried alive that slrr r7st hordsred on
mania ~Ae had RI sda me promise tb
g. tbe rase 81 hsr death. CT rather e.
rosed death. vo1i5 sppIv eve
> mans known 20 SCI eres 20 5steru- ne
"a life wss srtinct Vow. this womI
p was wealthy Shs wss not "a The r.
80 ts-r's We The vcrnz msn who.