The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-13

Some years ago. when aspiring followers
of necessary and important, but some
what lugubrious, calling adopted the title.
funeral directors" as one of greater dig
nifty and significance than ''undertakers."
1t was commonly felt that they had
achieved the ultimate distinction in appel
lative honors. 1t seems. howeve1 that this
name, chosen, as 1t was, by themselves
after due elaboration. and not applied in
light-minded derision by frivolous public.
is not satisfactory after all. The Missouri
funeral directors have had the matter un-
der discussion and have about decided on
the title "mortician'' as better suited to
their tastes and needs. A member Of the
Missouri organization explains the pro-
posed change thus:
I think that some name should be adopt
ed that Will express more than the word
undertaken does. 1t is crude, and does
not show that a man who is an embalmer
and who thoroughly understands his busi-
ness is professional. man. The word
Imortic1an is comprehensive and implies
profession. There is no doubt that the So
called undertaken Is q professional man
and that professional knowledge Is re-
CURED OF man who is thorough in the
business. He must have knowledge of
anatomy, physiology and chemistry and
must be versed in histography and bacter-
iology. / hope that some day word will
be adopted that will proclaim an under
taker a professional man.
1t Is not quite certain that mere name
will convey the desired impression. On the
contrary. it seems likely that if the bust
ness of the undertaken involves learning
and intellectual abilities equal to those re-
quired In law or medicine or theology the
fact would have become known long ago
and due rank as members of learned pro-
fession have been given to those who were
engaged In 1t, without regard to the man.
ner in which they had classified them
selves. 1t has often been remarked that
you cannot keep a good man down. and.
though the experience of undertakers may
lead them to dispute this-putting down,
according to their method, having degree
of permanency-they will doubtless agree
that it would be impossible for themselves
to be kept down simply because of a name
that expressed either too much or too little.
But since they have resolved on change
they should not be too hasty in deciding
upon the new title. Is mortician really
what they want? Any one possessed
of a little of the high scholarship
which, it seems, belongs to the gentlemen
engaged in funeral directing will, of course.
recognize the origin of the word and un-
derstand 1t to mean one who is a ''profes-
sor of the dead" or is it a profession of
death? Or. to put it less crudely to delicate
sensibilities, perhaps professor of the
mortuary art approaches more nearly to
the idea of the Missouri society. Unfortu-
nately, however, a great many persons
the language they speak: they are not &C
quainted with mors, by that name, at least,
but they are familiar with the word ''mor-
tice," and know that it has something to
do with carpenters occupation. Now, is
there not danger that these illiterate per-
sons will associate the word mortician
with the purely manual and wholly unin-
tellectual occupation of the carpenter and
the last condition of the undertakers be
worse than the first as far as professional
Elective observer as If such might be the
case; hence it is that this friendly warning
is given and the advice extended to the es-
Unable professors to go little slow in
choosing a new label for themselves. Incl
dentally. too. they may console themselves
with the thought that no haste in choice of
terms is necessary, since they will always
be in a position to have the last word,
whatever it may be.