The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-15
PREMATURE BURIALS.
How They Occur and the Means to b
Adopted to Prevent Them.

How They Occur and the Means to Be
Adopted to Prevent Them.
A prominent physician, who has made a
study Of premature burials, in speaking on
the subject the other day, said:
There seems to be an impression among
some medical men that the statements as to
premature turials 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 mistaken. Who knows how many
such cases are concealed in deep graves, in
the 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 20 revive in many
cases where the vital spark has not left the
body. II they are not dead the ice kills
them, or the aiT-tight coffin kills them.
time collins have been opened, and
bodies are found TO have been dis
placed, the terrible reflections Of friends
have been quieted 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, ana has wTlthed in unspeakable
torture until relieved by welcome death.
Another New York physician in speaking
en- the same subject said:
The main cause of the premature inter-
ment is the custom Of haste to prepare the
subject for the grave. The undertaken is
sent for on the instant He may hint that
there is no hurry, but it is at the risk Of
losing his business. Ii 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 1t Is the dictate OF humanity and
common sense to 20 slowly In such mat
teTs. OF course, in case of death by lOath-
some or contagious disease, such as diph-
liberia or smallpox, haste is pardonabe for
the sake Of the living. but in most cases, I'M
due haste is at the risk Of homicide.
II is best to call in a physician who is fully
qualified and familiar with the signs Of
death and not to be too hasty in taking il
for granted that death has actually occurred,
even in cases where people have been long
sick, and where death has been for some
time regarded as a fOregone conclusion.
Too much care cannot be taken before max
Ing preparations for a funeral, 10 make il
absolutely certain by the most unmStakable
evidence that death has really taken place.
There are several ways TO provide agains
premature burial, among the best being to
employ a strict vigilance; to employ medi-
cal appliances which have been invented fol
the purpose OF making such thorough and
scientific examination in every case OF al
legged death as TO render 1t absolutely imp0s-
aible for any person not dead to be treated as
If be were dead. Precautions should be
taken to watch the subject from the time
the patient dies 10 the end. The closest SUI.
pervision aud most perfect tests should be
maintained until the final moment Of con.
signing the body to its last resting place, sc
that II will be impossible for any person tc
be either prematurely killed OF inferred
aliYe.-Cincinnat Enquirer.