The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-01-26
PREMATURE BURIAL.
European Precautions Against this Dread
ed Danger
Neo YORK. Sun.

interview with DR.. George Is. Shrady
upon the dangers Of premature burial, +,
which he, however, did not regard as
very serious, but rather imaginary,
and on par with ghost stories.
Doctors, especially in English
speaking countries, do not always
agree upon the Importance or even the
reality Of these dangers because the
mysterious states of suspended ANNA
ton and the numerous forms of death
counterfeit, which are the causes of
these dangers, are very hidden in
their nature and are but little explain
ed in the light Of science; conse-
quently medical men sometimes hold
different views upon the subjectof the
interview.
While stories on this subject are
often Of sensational character, there
is, unfortunately, very real and
tragic side to the, matter which de-
mands our most earnest and serious
attention. Let me, therefore, go
briefly over some ground which shows
how the matter is regarded on this
side5of the water, especially in Ger
many and Austria.
The dangers of premature burial
have been guarded against from the
earliest times. The Oldest writings
slow that apparent death has always
been frequent enough to require that
before persons who appeared to De
dead were inferred examinations and
tests should be employed to prove
whether they were dead or not. HUI
manity has not changed in this par
ticular from what it was in the more
simple conditions of ancient times,
excepting it has become more suscep-
tible to falling into the state of ap-
parent death, on accountof the greater
nusaber Of depressing and exhausting
influences connected with the life Of
these days-such as worry, strain and
excitement, and the consequent great
.er indulgence of stimulants, anodynes
and narcotics.
The Greeks and Romans, from their
experiences With cases where the
flames of the funeral pile brought
back consciousness to victims who
were believed from their appearance
to be dead, made it an inva. liable rule,
when putrefaetion had not set in, to
keep those supposed to be dead from
seven to nine days, during which time
the body was washed with boiling
water to excite the torpid sensibili-
ties Of possible cases of trance, and
there was shouting and blowing of
horns in the ears to arouse the mind
and suspended vital activities, and
just before the torch was applied, as
a final test, a finger was cut off to see
if circulation, the evidence Of life.
still existed. What a contrast with
the hasty burial proceedings of mod
ern times
Sceptics and others who have not
gives any attention to this subject
sometimes cry out, "Glye us facts,
facts, proof, proof To these |
weuld point out the extensive litera-
ture of the subject, for the most part
from the pens Of eminent men in med
icine and other branches of science,
running along from early in the SIX
teenth century to the present day.
These writings are in the languages of
all civilized countries, and are numer-
Gus enough to form quite library by
themselves. | have "a list of treatiscs
and essays upon this subject before
me that fills more than twenty-five
closely printed octave pages. TO pre-
sumo that all this enlightened and
anxious labor has been expended upon
imaginary dangers is about as unrea-
sonable as to declare that all other
medical writings are fanciful, and that
the diseases and infrmities they are
intended to combat and remove have
no actual existence.
The lesson that is uniformly and
emphatically taught by the authorities
on this subject is that all the signs
and appearances of death excepting
decomposition are uncertain, and may
deceive even experienced physicians
that premature burials will continue
to take place until this state is allow
ed ample time to develop as proof that
life has departed, and that bodies
should be kept under expert Official
medical observation, apart from the
living, under sanitary conditions unit
death has put the seal of putrefactior
upon them.
The medical profession. aided b,