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

ny
nnoo the dangers Of premature burial,
uh;eh he, however, did not regard as
,ory serious, but rather imaginary
md on par with ghost stories.
Doctors, especially in English
.,c,kins countries, do not always
,srec upon the Importance or even the
,calty Of these dangers because the
,,ysterious states of suspended anima-
,;or and the numerous forms Of death
.ouutcrfcit, which are the causes Of
,bc.c dangers, are very hidden in
,b.ir nature and are but little explain
"a in the light Of science conse-
.,i,eii;ly medical men sometimes mold
different views upon the subject Of 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-
maud, our most earnest and serious
attention. Let me, therefore, go
briefly over some. ground which shows
how the matter is regarded on this
side Of 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 be
dead we're inferred examinations and
tests should be employed to prove
whether they were dead or not. HUI
manity has not changed in this par
,cular from what it was in the more
simple conditions Of ancient times,
excepting it has become more suscep-
rbc to falling into the state Of ap-
parcnt death, on account of the greater
number of depressing and exhausting
Influences connected with the life of
these days-such as worry, strain aud
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
we're believed from their appearance
to 6e dead, made it an invariable rule,
when putrcfaction 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, ar d
there was shouting and blowing Of
horns in this ears to arouse the mind
aud suspended vital activities, and
just before The torch was applied, as
a final test, finger was cut off to see
! if circulation, the evidence of life,
still existed. What contrast with
the hasty burial proceedings of mod
Fern times
4 Sceptics and others who have not
gwen any attention to this subject
|tsnetimcs cry out, "Giye us facts,
Ahe's, proof, proof" To these I
sauld point out the extensive litera-
j..
Il tue Of the subject. for the most part
tyn the pens Of eminent menin med
4 zine aud other branches Of science,
i mining along from early in the six
i tenth century to the present day.
These writings arc in the languages of
|Isll civilized countries, aud are numer-
3ons enough to form quite a library by
Themselves. I have "a list of treatises
4and essays upon this subject before
ane that fills more than twenty-five
closely printed octave pages. To pres,
lsumc that all this enlightened and
4anxious labor has been ex pended upon
8maginary dangers is about as unrca-
A"nae'e as to declare that all other
hedic'l writings are iloisf III I'D i;aE
7she diseases and infirmities they are
$'ntcndcd to combat and remove have
Ea9 actual existence.
4 The lesson that, is uniformly and.
3snplatically taught by the authorities
3sn this subject is that all the signs
M appearances Of death excepting
|a,,ecomposition are uncertain, and may
asecelve even experienced physicians Z
Anat premature bpriais will continue
8e take place until this state is allow
IN "A. ample time 70 develop as proof that
8ae has departed, and that bodies
d Snsuld be kept under expert official;
j &zsed'cal observation, apart from the
snng, under sanitary conditions until
s.th has put the seal Of putrefaotion,'
bon them. {:
The medical profession, aided By
t(3pA al