The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1898-12-15

In Times Of Plague AMI FestiIence the
Greatest Danger Of Premature Burial
E1ists-The Death Test That Is Applied
In Vienna.
Most Of US haze q lingering love of
life, and the thought that there is just
the barcst possibility Of being buried
alive sends shudder through Us.
Medical men know that the human
body in timo of illness and at other
times, too is liable to assume all the
outward appearances of death without
the final separation having actually
taken place. There are the coma, cata-
leptic and other forms OF the uncon-
scious state, each Cne bringing in its
trend the very stimulation of death itself.
Happily, medical man nowadays"
said physician to a reporter, "expe-
riences no difficulty in declaring his pa
tient to be dead, as general rule. but
it may perhaps happen once in his life
time that he may have a doubt, in
which case conviction either way fol-
lows upon his findings. which are sim
pie and conclusive, and in which he
cannot be mistaken.
1T is unfortunately true that there
are thousands of nervous people now
walking about in feav of being buried
alive. this morbid conviction coming
about through reading of an isolated
case happening here and there, where
perhaps some one has had narrow es-
cape of being subjected to living burial
"These escapes greatly outnumber
those of the actual occurrence itself.
The cataleptio usually show signs Of
life just III the nick Of time to disap-
point the undertakers and to relieve sor-
rowing friends.
"Of course, much Of the evidence on
which the allegation of premature
burial is based depends on the fact th.-t
bodies on eXhumation have been occa-
sionally found distorted, thereby foster
ing the notion that this or that occu-
pant Of the coffin has died from suffO-
cation, theory which is supported by
the favorable condition of other ex-
humed bodies.
"But the idea is altogether wrong, in
fact and in principle. 1t is we'll known
among those who have made it study
that the apparent distortions, instead
of demonstrating living burial, pure
ly depend upon natural causes brought
about by decomposition, the influence
of which is sufficiently strong enough
to bulge out, and even burst, leaden
coffins. This phenomenon does not hap
pen in every case. bat it does in great
many.
"No, mol shall not go so far as to
say that premature burial has never
taken place, bgSft has ROT occurred 30
often Is -hought. l dare say it may
occur in times of plaques and pesti.
lences, where the presumed dead are
buried wit in few hours of death.
That is where much mischief lies. But
when panic prevails where does thought !
como in?
''In plaques, such as cholera, the
state of collapse is SO profound that it /
may perfectly simulate death itself, but |
the custom Of burying the dead on the
day Of death is fortunately on the wane,
even during advanced epidemics. 1t is
probable that in the absence of medical
lid in panic times in country places
abroad it has led to living burial-in-
Iced it must have done. But the last
md of all under such conditions is mer-
,iful, for it must not be forgotten that
f you are unconscious only while be-
ng Theoretically sealed in your coffin
'ou will never again experience volun-
ary motion or sensation.
However, where the doctor can be
onsulted, living burial is impossible
ven in cholera panic, for there arc
ertaih Dodily movements which gener-
lily occur after death from cholera, in
he absence of which a medical man
would hesitate to certify for burial.
"In ages gone by and in uncivilized
ountries still it is possible that uncon-
cious cataleptics, or persons drugged to
pparent death, may have been and
erhaps still are occasionally burie
live, but do not believe that in our
wn country or in any civilized land F!
uch events are possible.
'In Vienna the custom prevails #
aking a body to the mortuary on tko
We of burial, where it is tested.
himbles are placed on the fingers Of
le dead, to which are attached wires
with the mortuary BELLS
"Have the bells ever rung? Yes, once.
A"It is impossible for doctor to mis-
Ike Inconsistencies in its varied forms
II d1eth.
$50. . time ago it was suggested that
law should be passed making it COM
1lsorJ Tor . medical man to test bodies
,fore giving a certificate of death.
esting by electricity was thought O., :
1T it is an open question yet whether
kills or only stuns. At all
'ents, we in this country are not con-
need that such a test would be salts
ctory or afford sufficient evidence OF
'ath, although it has its value On the (.
her hand, don't think legislation cf
is kind is necessary It would Gel
inly reflect upon the medical profes-
On. 4
The Viennese custom is wise one.
d l should like to see it more gener-
ly adopted. Pearson Weekly. II
The Po<ar E,iitor 4