Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-09
Protection From the Dead

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
There are things Of vast importance we are
from daily usage in the ha0it of not including
in our thoughts, Of not looking at from more
than one point of view. Among these subjects of
general knowledge and little consideration may
be placed the dangers to the living arising from
the decsying of the dead in cemeteries. Poi
sonous chemical compounds are formed in
great abundance and distributed through run
ming streams and passing winds. The germs
Of vrulent and fatal diseases are also kept
alive, fostered and disseminated in like man
ner. These germs may remain in the grave
for centuries, then again reach the living. De-
sructive epidemics may originate from the IN
cautious opening of a ong-closed grave as was
once the case with yellow fever in New Or
leana There is scarcely question that this
circulation Of the germs Of typhoid fever goes
On constantly through the grave. 1t is a dis
ma. fate enough TO be placed therein without
injuring our friends and famiiles after death
by the evils that should end with each with his
end Of life Pasteur found germs OF spleric fe-
yer reaching cattle grazing above infected bod
les, no matter what the depth of burial
To stamp out infection II became necessary to
bum al bodies, and In that way the disease was
stamped out The failure of man to reach the
age due his kind with as much rtainty as the
lower animals is probably due to the care he
hestovs on the preservation of the germs of
the diseases peculiar to MS race The bodies
OF the lower animals are usually SO treated that
the germs contained cease to trouble the Ey-
Ing. These minute organisms kill more peo-
PIE before their time than all other causes COM
lined. They are always about ms in abund-
ancs ready to attack any weak spot presented
aud hold II the neignt of unwisdom 10 pro-
vide lurking places Tor their protection. Every
person should be required to take out OF the
leaving il
There 10 way Of disposing OF the dead that
cheaper and more reyerential which pre-
cludss all possibility of the living being reached
By any poisons tLerefrom- II lis to preserve all
bodies IN properly constructed vault by keep
ing the temperature q little below the freezing
point OF water, I'D til all the demands of public
policy, remembrance and affection have been
fully satisfied from two to twenty years and
then destroy quickly aud completely. with all
contained germs, In some way chat shall not Of
fend the living AZ all bodies must be cared
Tor IN order 20 attain the end sought the con-
servation Of the public health, 1t 10 necessary
that the community should charge itself with
the matter The cost would be less than burial
charges now are and would be more than saved
by reason Of less sickness and longer sndur-
once Of useful lives.
IL 10 estimated that . building to contain
10000 could be erected and furnished for
$1,000 or for slo for each body. and that it
ana iu contents could be cared for and prop
erly guarded for o.. 0oe per year or an average
cost Of 20 cents for each body
Any Architect can design such q mausoleum
W Be vorthy Its use and to be beautiful within
and without, while any mechanical engineer
viii provide cheap and sfhcient means for
regulating The temperature Ii may be mem
TONED that Ice and salt in Intimate mixture
VII develop more than the requisite degrss of
cold
Incidsntaliy. valusbls evidence. particularly
In sssss OF crimes against the person would
be preserved import snt legal and social idsu
6ncations would be provided for, bodies would
be secured against grave robbers and the great
and good could be honored by the perpetual
Preservation Of their bodies unchanged
Another very pleasing and attractive idea
connected with such 9 mausoleum Is that in =
short tune IL would become . notable art GAL
lery. This because there would be no other so
safe place &c keep hne works The air within
tas tomb would be always dry. pure and dust
lees, consequently nc work Of genius no mat
tsr how fragile, whether Of msrhle, metal
wood, sloth or paint would cutler sny tarnish.
Ing or ehsngs IN centuries, and the light could
be vhAtsvsR was desired Onrx PxRxxn