The herald., 1894-11-17
A TALK ABOUT CREMATION.
The Friday Morning Club Inter
ested in the Subject.
DR.. Kate Shepardson Black of Pasa-
dena Reads Paper.
shc Believes That IncInorAtion WIN Be-
como Popularized-Oan Be Made
Beautiful Custom-Best
for Public Health.

A large membership and a number OF
guests assembled at the Friday Morning
club rooms yesterday, to hear DR.. Kate
Shepardeon Black, OF Pasadena. read a
paper ON Cremation. The doctor said
that cremation was the general method
of the ancients in the disposition of
their dead. with a few exceptions which
she briefly reviewed, and that the
modern method of incineration was an
improvement on the ancisnt method.
The body is treated as for earth burial,
wrapped in an incombustible sheet,
placed on an iron slab in receiver,
and exposed to intensest heal which
secures rapid decomposition the time
required to accomplish this result being
from half an hour to three hours, the
ashes to be preserved as the relatives or
friends OF the deceased prefer.
The origin of the earth burial was the
belief in the resurrection of the body,
but there was nothing in Ohrist's
teachings to establish preference for
earth burial, and the manner Of dis
posal should be entirely secondary in
Importance; it should not be religious
question, but governed rather on ssni-
tary, economic and ethical grounds.
There is no necessity OF evading dust
thou art, to dust thou shalt return;" 1t
is merely a question OF methods, a7d
cremation is the cleanest, purest and
most wholesome.
The cemetery system does not insure
body's final resting place, since ex~
humations are often necessary as cities
grow; it lie really a ruthless and irrever-
ent disposition of the dead. for left to
the mercy of strangere. city's encroach-
ment causes graveetones to be shufflsd
about and the cemeteries themselves in
time to De leveled and divided into town
lots.
The doctor then spoke of the dangers
to the living from the burial of the dead !;
the escape of injurious gases during tie
long time required for decomposition !;
OF the damage from cemeteries on high
ground making lower sections unfit for
habitation, and causing diseases of va.
rious kinds, when earth. air and water
were poisoned by decomposed remains !;
statistics were read OF epidemics brought
about by these causes at different places
and times. proving the horrors and evils
of earth burial, and startling facts were
kiNOh COhCOihthk iOouitn liOA shO VAOin-
tion of laws regarding burial; the i'm
mense numbers of the dead were re-
lerred to as an ever-increasing army,
and the conclusion drawn from facts was
that cremation must be substituted for
burial as the only liie.saving method for
the survivors.
The doctor then stated that medical
knowledge was hampered unless aided
| by laws, and it was the duty of the state
to protect the living an understanding
of germs, bacteria, ETC., was useless un-
less applied to prevent their develop
Dient. Reference WAS made 10 the fu-
ture Of the country, and the time when
! California would no longer be a health
resort unless state laws we're properly
executed to regulate, not only the care
OF those sick with tuberculosis and other
germ-producing diseases, but the proper
disposal OF the dead. Illumination is q
crime against the best interests of hui
manity, and burial in grave would be
Tepulsive If custom and prejudice did
not blind the senses and produce false
sentiment; sentiment must be based on
common sense and wisdom, or it is in
furious. The erroneous ideas concern
ing cremation would be removed by wit
Messing an incineration; surround it
with beauty and attend it with appro-
pirate services. and it will be found to
be beautiful method of disposing of
the dead, in harmony with the spiritual
conception of death as q new birth.
The paper was vigorous, exhaustive
and convincing. The doctor fully be-
lieves in her subject and put it before
her audience with incieive force, and
the usual discussion followed. The
presdent-emeritus, Mrs. Caroline M.
Severance. who was tie founder of the
club, was absent on account of severe
illness, and the club resolved to send ita
greetings OF love and sympathy to the
invalid, through her physician. The
guests we're: Mines. G. A. Paul. Phila-
delphis; M. @. Calendar. Boston; @. /.
Peckham, Angel leland; B. F. Kiernuli.
E. r. Conger. Hammond, R. II. Rice.
and the Misses Stephens, Ellis and
Boutwell,, all of Los Angeles.