The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-06-26
PREMATURE BURIALS.
Why So Many People Are Consigned to 6
Living Grave.


A prominent physician, who has made
astudy premature burials, in speaking
on the subject the other day said;
There seems to be an impression
among some medical men that these
statements as to premature burials that
have been made from time to time have
not been sufficiently authenticated tC
lead to the conclusion that they were
basedOn absolute facts. In this they are
mistaken. Who knows how many such
cases are concealed in deep graves, in
cremating furnaces, in the tOmbs of the
wealthy. 1t is idle to say that these
things do not happen. They do happen.
The obvious point is this: People who
have been pronounced dead are often
with undue haste placed upon ice. This
renders it impossible for them to revive
in many cases where the vital spark
has not left the body yet. If 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 reAec-
tions of friends have been Quoted by
the assurance that gases of the decaying
body must have done the work But
the probability is that the unfortunate
victim has been prematurely buried,
and has writhed in unspeakable torture
until relieved by welcome death.
Another New York physician, in
speaking on the same subject said:
The main cause of premature inter-
= IL r
the subject for the grave. The under
taker is sent for on the instant. He may
hint that there Is no hurry, but it 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 in such
matters. OF course. in case of death by
lOathsOme or contagious diseases, such
as diphtheria or smallpox, haste is par
donable for the sake of the living, but
in most cases undue haste is at the risk
of homiciee.
1t is best to call in physician who is
fully qualified with the signs of death,
and not be too hasty in taking it for
granted that death has actually oc-
Cured, even in cases where people have
been long sick. and death has been for
some time regarded as foregone con-
clusion. Too much care can not be
taken before making preparation for
funeral, to make it absolutely certain
by the most unmistakable evidence that
death has really taken place.
There are several ways to provide
against premature burial, among the
best being to exercise strict 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 should be
taken to watch the subject from the
time the patient dies to the end. The
closest supervision and most perfect
tests should be maintained until the
final moment of consigning the body to
its last resting place, so that it will be
impossible for any one to be either pre-
maturely killed or inferred alive.-Cin-
cinnati Enquirer