The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-28
PREVENT PREMATURE BURIALs.
A Society to Institute Precautions
Against the Intermenu of the Living.
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Precautions
Against the Intermenu of the Living.
From the Neto York Sun.
Medical literature contains many true
stories, stranger than fiction, of people who
have been buried alive; of the resuscitation
of persons supposed to be dead; Of the de-
ception of physicians and friends by the
apparent symptoms of death, and kindred
tales. Some time ago the subject was dis
cussed at meeting of the Medico- Legal
Society, and it was shown that there are
good grounds for believing that men.
women and children are frequently buried
alive; that our laws permit of too hasty
lnterment of persons supposed to be dead,
and that common sense dictates the adop-
ton OF some measures whereby the occur
renee OF such horrors may be prevented,
The outcome of the discussion has been
the suggestion of society for the purpose
OF taking precautions against premature
burials. The originator of the movement
was DR.. S. Newton Leo of 1O3 West Fifty
fifty street, in this city. Speaking on this
subject the other day Dr. Leo said: There
are number of prominent men in various
walks of life, whom know to be interested
IN this mbvoment, who would prefer not to
have their names mentioned at present. But
the society is progressing, and | have no
doubt that permanent organization will
be formed. | will take this occasion
to explain that there seems to be an i'm
preston among some medical men that
these statements as to premature burials
that have been made from time to time
have not been sufficiently authenticated to
lead to the conclusion that they were based
on absolute facts In this they are mis-
taken. Who knows how many such cases
are concealed in deep graves; in the Gre
mating furnaces; in the tombs of the
wealthy. 1t is idle to say that these things
do not happen, They do happen. This no.
body can deny; that no harm and possibly
great good must result from the adoption of
common sense precautions to prevent such
horrible things
The obvious point is this: People who
have been pronounced dead are often with
undue haste placed upon ice. This renders
1t impossible Tor them to revive in many
cases where the vital spark has not left the
body. IL they are not dead the ice kills
them, or the air-tight coffin kills them.
Sometimes when after lapse of time
collins have been opened, and bodies are
found to have been displaced, the terrible
reflections of friends have been quieted by
the assurance that gases of the decaving
body must have done the work. But the
probability is that the unfortunate victim
has been prematurely buried, and has
writhed in unspeakabe torture until re-
''The main cause of premature interment
Is the custom of haste to prepare the sub
jecG for the grave. The undertaken is sent
for on the instant. He may hint that there
is no hurry, but 1t is at the risk of losing
his business. If one undertaken will not
hurry another one will. People must be
educated up to the idea that it is not only
not necessary TO hurry, but is the dictate Of
humanity and common sense to go slowly
n ffarc *
death by loathsome or contagious disease,
such as oiphtheria or smallpox, haste is
pardonable for the sake of the living, but,
In most cases, undue haste is at the risk of
homicide. The board of health will take
care of urgent cases. In all others it would
be better to proceed carefully.
1T is best to call in physician who is
fully qualified and familiar with the signs
of death, and not to bs too hasty in
taking it for granted that death
has actually occurred. even in cases
where people have been long sick, and
where death has been for some time re-
garded as a foregone conclusion. Too
much care cannot be taken before maxi q
preparations for a funeral to make it alb
solutely certain by the most unmistakable
evidence that death has really taken place.
"Our society proposes to adopt these OBJ
viously necessary precautions: To exercise
vigilance; to employ medical appliances
which have been invented for the purpose
of making such thorough and scientific ex-
animation in every case of alleged death as
to render it absolutely impossible for any
person not dead to be treated as if he were
dead. Precautions will be taken TO watch
the subject from the time the physicians of
the society are notified of the death of a
member to the end. The closest supervision
and most perfect tests will be maintained
until the fl lal moment of consigning the
body to its last resting place, so that it will
be impossible for any person to be either
prematurely killed or Inferred alive"