The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-09

all classes dressed according to their station in
He e~mbowered BY plsn.s and f ES;s s;,i AMID anl
piles. TO all. high and low. ,except the r9ysl
family. which has its own place ot. the KIND:
and Infectious diseases. a post.mortem room.
laboratory quarters for the administration.
SS= DS;s, nqo C %ttendsaatTS; v and r, S = Sh"P Ps+oue the q
ment would call an attendant. This cor:
mot t xSl@G as a 81 sato sRSsS r Ret SanfRS vital a &C
mcnt OF tho mouth or oyeilds. u change OF com.
plexion.. a, slight moisture on the face. a fsint
or a feeble thoracio movement, ali of which
could easily escape observation and fail to set
off any device however delicate in construction.
Doubts are sometimes expressed as to tho
of Tho examinations The bodies receive In them
Many high authorities could be quoted who
hold that such a system as we are considering
may be sufficient in this place to give the opin.
ion OF ono whose knowledge of the subject no
2nG iS %il re 9%STst of tih H'mmS SSit shS Noun GSTnc # % N Psrfs
Ehrhart, Mayor Of Munich, dated May .. 1880,
these establishments have been utilized. the
manner in which the remains are disposed and
adorned, the resuscitntion of some who were
believed to be dead, all contributed to remove
any sentimental objections to these establish
Although this system us II is operated at pres
ent is in high favor with all classes, 1t Is not re-
garded as above further improvement. There
fore. the authorities of Munich have lately sent
out n commission toinvcstigate the way tho mat
ter is conducted in some OF the largo cities in
Austria, and the city has planned q mortuary
for the Southern Cemetery upon. a costly scale,
surprising anything of the kind before attempt
ed in Germany.
A considerable amount Of interest is manifest
at present in England, France. Germany. and
Italy upon this subject Ct A number ~ PEI. Of bt %treat nSS,
lishcd. The last TO appear were La Mort
Recle ct la Mort Apparente." Paris. 1897. and
Premature Burial and How 1t May Be Pre-.
Tho London Association for the Prevention
Of Premature Burials was organized two
years ago for the purpose of securing protective
legislation. in this matter similar to that which
is in force in the German States. Its invcstiga-
tions into this subject have been extensive and In
many countries, and they show that tho victims
of death counterfeits are mostly among women
cesses.. and persons whose strength has been re-
duced by mental and physical strain; and that
there are thirty diseases, conditions. happenings,
and indulgenees that induce these states.
There is at present a medical commission In
session at Turin. Italy, convened to investigate
the means for distinguishing apparent from real
death with the view OF protective legislation.
and it offers a prize for the best work on the so.
luton of the problem. Reports are expected
from all over the world.
The experiences and opinions of medical men
and the action OF the legal authorities in Europe
in this matter may interest their confreres in
America. when. in time. they also take II up for
consideration. They will. however, find it a
more , ifficult question to deal with than 1t has
not only to inquire into what legal. provisions
are necessary to prevent premature burials. but
also to consider what precautions are necessary
to render it certain that bodies are. actually
the subject will require a separate consideration.
EDw. p. VoLLUM, M. D.