The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-09
BURIAL.
EURoPEAN PRECAUTIONS AGAINST
THIS DRElDED DANCER.

An Exauainatiea ~ Gel. voIium, Retired saedi-
cal Omcer or the A~rmy-Necessify for Pre-
cautIoss-what Experience s~hovs-suEses
tiens or Their Adoptien BY This ConntrS'
MUNICH, Dec. Pill read In THE Sun OF Oct.
10 an interesting interview with DIR. George Il.
Shrady upon tho dangers OF premature burial.
which no, however, did not regard as very seri-
GUS. but rather imaginary, and on a par with
ghost stories.
Doctors, especially in English-speaking coun-
tries, do not always agree upon the Importance
or even the reality Of those dangers because the
mysterious states OF suspended animation and
tho numerous forms of death counterfeit, which
arc the causes OF these dangers, arc very hidden
In their nature and are but little explained In
tho light OF science; consequently medical men
sometimes hold different views upon the sub
ject of the Interview.
While stories on this subject are often of a SEN
sational character, there is, unfortunately, a
very real and tragic side to tho matter which
demands our most earnest and serious atten-
ton. Lot me. therefore. go briefly over some
ground which shows how tho matter is regard
ed on this side of tho water. especially IN Ger
many and Austria.
The dangers Of premature burial have been
guarded against from the earliest times. The
oldest writings show that apparent death has
always been frequent enough to require that
before persons who appeared to be dead
woro inferred EXAMINATIONS and tests should
DO employed to prove whether they were
dead or not Humanity has not changed in this
particular from what 1t was in the moro simple
conditions OF ancient imes,e excepting 1t has be-
come more susceptible to falling into the state
Of apparent death, on account Of the greater
number Of depressing and exhausting influences
connected with tho life Of these days-such as
worry, strain, and excitement, and the conse-
auent greater indulgence of stimulants. ano-
dynes, and narcotics.
The Greeks and Romans. from their
experiences with casos whore the flames Of the
funeral pile brought back consciousness to vic
Tins who were believed from their appearance
to DO dead, made it an invariable rue. when
putrefaction had not set in, to keep those sup
posed to be dead from seven TO nine days. dur
ing which time the body was wished with boil
ing water to excite the torpid sensibilitics of
possible cases OF trance. and thero 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 q final test, q
finger was cut of to see IL circulation, the evi-
dence of life. still existed. What u contrast
with tho hasty burial proceedings of modern
timesi
Skeptics, and others who have not given any
attention to this subject, sometimes cry out.
"Give us facts, facts, proof. proof" To these
/ would point out the extensive literature of the
subject, for the most part from the pens of emf.
nent men in medicine and other branches of
science. running along from early in the six
tenth century to the present day. These writ
ings are in the languages of all civ
ilized countries. and are numerous enough
to form quite a library by themselves.
l have q list Of %treatises and essays upon
this subject before me that fills more
than twenty-five closely printed octave pages.
To presume that all this enlightened and anxious
labor has been expended upon imaginary dan
gers Is about as unreasonable as to declare that
all other medical writings are f%anciful, 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 ex-
cepting decomposition are uncertain, and
may deceive even experienced physicians;
that premature burials will continue
to take place until this state is allowed ample
time to develop as proof that life has departed,
and that bodies should be kept under expert
official medical observation. apart from the liv-
ing, under sanitary conditions. until death has
put the seal of putrefaction upon them.
The medical profession, aided by the clergy,
struggled for many years for the establishment
of a system Of this kind. The earliest movement
to this end originated in Franco with DIR.
Jacques B. Winslow, who himself was twice
laid out for dead and narrowly escaped
being buried alive. Ho was followed by
Count Berchshold. who. in 1892. submitted
a practicable plan to the National Assem-
bly,: Later e n the lirst French Repuolie 9son:a
aires in Paris failed from the opposition of the
funeral companies. But soon thereafter the
system of death notification by official medical
inspectors, called nlGdccins rerifcateurS, with a
delay before burial OF twenty Jour hours. was
legalized, and 1t has remained in force ever
law not long after In Belgium, Holland, and in
Scandinavia. Russia followed with the Same
system with a delay of three or four days before
burial, but not required by law.
But to Germany belongs the credit OF recog;
niZing the fact that the suites of suspended
vital activity, or apparent death, is n natural
attribute OF the human organization, somewhat
should be guarded against by. strict expert
inspections Of bodies supposed to be dead
and their detention In waiting mortuaries
place, regardless OF the length of time.
hufeland was the first to put this conception
into reforms in sculpture adopted by Frankfort
on'the.Main in 1928. Soon after il was en-
by Austria, where it was further provided that
II the survivors requested i the heart would be
pae prevent a possible revival in the coffin.
Wherever these systems, have once been es-
tablished they have never been abolished. This
o " otiohG "a aihNhp v thN'h J. cSS
where; and 1t can easily DO done now II desired,
for all the medica legal, sanitary, and social
problems connected with the matter have been
satisfactorily solved in the thorough German
manner, and formulated into clear. wise, and
practical laws. whose beneticcnt operation Tor
over fifty years has given great satisfaction to
the authorities. and protection and consolation
to the people. Copies of these laws would con-
Btitute valuable additions to the records OF Tho
Board OF Health and other medical bodies in
the United States. and they are eheeriully sup
piled. with other data on tho subject. to appli'
cants through diplomatic channels.
1t may interest some OF your readers TO learn
the particulars of the German system, upon
which its safety depends. from q description of
the manner in which IT. is carried out in Munich.
where every detail. IL strictly oDscr ved.
Munich. with 43O. 900 inhabitants. is divided
into twenty-five burial districts. TO each of which
Is assigned a medical inspector OF The dead
(LeichenschauerL with an alternate, both of
whom are specially qualified for their duties.
and an undertaken woman tLCichenJtaUD, who
Is likewise qualified, by a technical examination.
and she has Il male assistant. There are six
cemeteries. each of which has u waiting mortu-
airy (LeichenhauS). The procedure ID as fol-
lows: As soon as an attending physician an
nounces II death the family sends for tho under.
takers woman. who has charge OF all the flu
neral preparations. She, In turn. informs the
rnalI,al tnunantnr hnf Inaa tnthipy hnInrn In