Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-03
PREMATURE nURIALs.

\ consu, Mantius writes from Turin to
the state Department that prominent
nhvsIcians and laymen there are at pres
ent busily engaged in preparing an e1-
haustive report. with exhibits. on the
, subject of apparent death and preLia-
,ure burial" This report will be the
striking feature OF the medical DEPART
ment at the National Exposition, to be
opened at Turin In April 1888 f..
Reports OF similar kind are expected
from all over the world. There VIII be
an international competition and prize
will be awarded for the best work on
the solution OF problem In which not
only the profession. but. more or less
every mortal is interested.
Up to the present time, says the Consul
no infallible test for Distinguishing
apparent from real death has been dis
covered, in consequence OF which horrify-
| ing cases of persons buried alive occur
| from time TO time. The committee OF
| physicians and laymen organized to
gather and slft the material realize that
the first step to remedy such conditions
should be to obtain modification OF The
laws relative TO the limited space Of
| time allowed for bodies to be kept before
burial In some countries. Therefore, the
members of this commission appeal to
the heads Of the governments ana TO
all those whose position gives them IN
nuence over the people for their support
in the movement.
We trust that Virginians who have In
formation on this subject will communi-
cate with Consul Mantius, but our own
belief is that very few people are buried
alive. We have made enquiries of I'M
dertakers, cemetery-keepers, physicians
and others, and have never yet found
any one who knew of certain case OF
premature burial OF course we do not
undertake to say that such cases have
not occurred. oh, no; for while no evil
dence Of the fact may have been dis
closed here, we are assured that else
where it has been clearly established
that there have been some premature
burials Indeed, the Turin Society has
already secured number Of exhibits"
ly seen afterwards by mortal eyes, 1t
would seem that few men are well quail
fed to speak positively upon this subject
But II must be remembered that the great
growth of modern cities has necessitated
the removal of many graveyards, and on
such occasions experts have had
their best opportunities to acquire In
formation: but we are told that. almost /
without exception, the corpses or skele-
tons have been found lying in natural
positions.
And even where they have been found
found lying In seemingly unnatural posi-
lions. their condition might generally be
accounted for by the processes of dissolu-
ton, which go on after the body has
been laid in the grave.
We should think the liability to prema-
ture burial very remote indeed, except In |
cases where cities are swept By terrible |
epidemics. and where bodies by the hun
bred are hurried into graves, and for the
most part by persons who have been |
pressed into that service for the occasion.
Certainly, where the body is buried by an |
experienced undertaken, and almost in
fallibly where the body is embalmed, the
chances are small, indeed, that the per-
son can be buried before death. And
once in the grave and covered with earth
1t is unbelievable that the person could
return to more than dull consciousness.
Full consciousness would be quite i'm
possible under the circumstances. How
ever, though the chances may be never
so small. none OF us wishes that dismal
fate to be ours.
And so we cannot but commend the eff
forts of the society in question. Vir-
glnia, by the way. has no law, that we
know of, prescribing how long a body
shall be kept out of the ground, nor do
we think many States of the Union have
legislated upon the question, as the old
countries have done generally. In our
cities however, no burial can be made
without physicians certificate, and the
permit Of the Board of Health, and this,
we doubt not, furnishes great security
against premature burial.