The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-12-19
EMeALMINe DANGEROUS.


EMBALMlNG DANGEROUS.
Death May BE Produced in Cases of Sus-
pended Animation by the PI ocess.
A danger which many undertakers
have long recognized and which some
have guarded against has again been
brought forcibly to their attention by
two recent events-one in Louisville.
KY, and the other in New York city
and so far as Philadelphia is concerned
it is not unlikely that Efforts will be
made TO have the board of health take
some action in the matter. In the first
instance, only a few days ago, a 49,
months-old child had beer i'll of cerebro-
spinal meningitis and apparently died
at eight o'clock at night. An under
taker was called and the body prepared
for burial on the following afternoon.
When the coffin arrived the child was
alive. The body had lain in the parlor,
when one of the family observed the
chest heave slightly. A few moments
afterward the child opened it's eyes and
recognized it's mother.
In b New York case, 4 man who was
scheduled at first for an ice box in the
morgue subsequently became n ward in
Bellevue hospital, the victim of some
accident which neither the coroner the
police nor the physicians were able to
discover. He had been found floating
face downward in the river and was
supposed to be dead. A physician who
happened to be at the morgue detected
signs of life, caused artificial respira-
ton, and after several hours work re-
stored consciousness, though the man
Nuoa nnahln 70 fa1E hannIrCaa ~ fo cTrn-
posed, of a fracture of the skull.
These two narrow escapes from
burial alive have further impressed me
with one of the perils attending the dis
position of the dead" said John j.
O'Rourke, of Tenth and Jasker streets.
the undertaken who encased the body of
Holmes in cement and inferred it in
Holy Cross cemetery. 81" mean the
danger of hasty embalming," he contin-
ued. "As you know, in most cases the
doctor who has had the patient is not
called in after death, and very often the
relatives of the deceased expect the I'M
drrtaker, II embalming is to be done,
to proceed with 1t at once. All of the
embalming schools teach us that the
only proper way to thus treat the body
is by the use of fluids through the
arteries. But in the lectures on the sub
ject no period that should elapse before
it is begun is prescribed, and as a rule
it follows dissolution as quickly as pos
sible-
81 contend hat there should be some
law or official rule governing the mat
ter, because after the artery is pune
tured and the fluid goes through the
whole body inside of 20 minutes it is
sure to destroy any spark of life hat
might remain. No, I have never met
with any case of resuscitation myself,
but I have had instances of death that
made me hesitate in the work of en-
balming. Some months ago a man came
to me IS minutes after q relative had
breathed his last and asked me to en-
balm the body. I went to the house,
and, after seeing the corpse, refused,
saying hat I would not do it until after
the expiration of 10 hours. The man
had died of consumption, yet for fear of
it being a case of suspended animation,
I would take no chances.
"At another time n person had died OF
dropsy. Within half an hour was sum-
moned. The attending physician had
not been there and "a hours afterward
nc RdNS IL CCEllilCdNCO VI htCdIn Cttll-
Ger. The body was very warm when I
arrived and neighbors who had kindly
volunteered to prepare 1t were doubtful
If life was extinct. Ihad the corpse laid
on an embalmipg table for two hours
and then placed 1t In what is known as
a Saratoga patent box. in which are pans
filled with sailed ice, SC arranged that
cold air ~circulates around the body. Had
this been a case of suspended animation
it would lave taken several hours to
dispe1 the heat within the corpse.
"Of course there are some supposed
unmistakable signs of dissolution. The
only positive signs, however, are those
which depend on molecular change or
death rigidity of the muscles of the
whole body and putrefaction of the It's
sues. These are most Marked accord
ing to Prof. F. A. Sullivan, of Boston,
in organs and tissues the vital functions
of which are the most active. The
action of the heart, the movements of
respiration may be so reduced as to be
altogether imperceptible, so that the
functions of circulation and respiration
appear to be arrested. This is occasion
ally observed In temporary syncope, in
which a person, to all appearances dead.
has, after q time, regained conscious
ness and recovered
"The peculiar condition of the nerv-
ous system called c~atalepsy and the state
of TRANCE are likewise further examples
of the so-called apparent deaths, but on
the occurrence of actual death the irri-
liability of the muscles by degrees dis
appears, electricity no longer excites
their contraction, and then cadaverous
rigidity sets In.
81 maintain hat all undertakers
should wait ten or twelve hours before
embalming a body. Tt will be just as
effective then If proper a is taken,
No undertaken should be permitted to
do it at once without the sanction of the
board of health or the certificate of a
reputable physician. The new state
board of undertakers has no power con-
ferred upon it in this respect, but II
should have. Some action will, In all
probability, De urged upon the next
legislature or upon the board of health"
Philadelphia Inquirer.
A Lapse.
Meandering Melancton-I don't nut