The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-09-06
ALIVE IN THE GRAVE.
THE CHANCES FOR SUCH A FATE ARE
EXTREMELY REMOTE.

TIE OF1AlNSGO run QUIT - IA Z ATE
EXTREMELY REMOTE.
In Times of Plague and Pestilence the
Greatest Danger of Premature Burial
Exists-The Death Test That Is Applied
In Vienna.
Most Of us have lingering love of
life, and the thought that there is just
the barest possibility of being buried
alive sends a shudder through us.
Medical men know that the human
body in time 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 one bringing in its
trend the very stimulation Of death itself.
Happily, medical man nowadays,
said a 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 doubt, in
which case conviction either way fol-
lows upon his findings which are sim
pie and conclusive, and III which he
cannot be mistaken.
at is unfortunately true that there
are thousands of nervous people now
walking about in fear 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 a narrow es-
cape Of being subjected to a living burial.
''These escapes greatly outnumber
those of the actual occurrence itself.
The cataleptic usually show signs Of
life just in 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 that
bodies on elimination 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 well 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
collins This phenomenon does not hap
pen in every case, but it does in a great
many
"No, mol l shall not go so far as to
say that premature burial has never
taken place, but it has not occurred SC
often as is thought dare say it may
occur in times of plaques and pesti-
lences. where TIE presumed dead are
buried within a few hours of death.
That is where much mischief lies But
when panic prevails where does thought
come 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
aid in panic times in country places
abroad it has led to living burial-in-
deed it must have done. But the last
end Of all under such conditions is mer-
ciful, for it must not be forgotten that
if you are unconscious only while be-
ing Theoretically sealed in your coffin
you will never again experience volun-
tary motion or sensation.
However, where the doctor can be
consulted, living burial is impossible
even in cholera panic, for there are
certain bodily movements which gener-
ally occur after death from cholera, in
the absence of which medical man
would hesitate to certify for burial
In ages gone by and in uncivilized
countries still it is possible that uncon-
scious cataleptics, or persons drugged tc
apparent death, may have been and
perhaps still are occasionally buried
alive, but I do not believe that in ou1
own country or in any civilized land
such events are possible.
In Vienna the custom prevails OF
taking body to the mortuary ON the
eve of burial, where it is tested
Thimbles are placed on the fingers Of
the dead, to which are attached wires
connected with the mortuary bells.
'Have the bells ever rung? Yes, once.
at is impossible for a doctor to mis-
take Inconsistencies in its varied forms
for death.
Some time ago it was suggested that
a law should be passed making it com
pulsory for medical man to test bodies
before giving a certificate of death.
Testing by electricity was thought of,
but it is an open question yet whether
electricity kills or only stuns. At all
events, we in this country are not con-
WINGED that such test would be salts
factory or afford sufficient evidence OF
death, although it has its value. On the
other hand, l don't think legislation OF
this kind is necessary 1t would GER
tainly reflect upon the medical profess
sion.
1.-The Viennese custom is wise one,
and I should like to sec it more gener-
ally adopted. Pearson S Weekly.