The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-16
SIRE sIoys or DEATH.
Decomposition the Only One-sir BENJAMIN
W.. KIchardson's Eleven Tests.

W. Richardson's Eleven Tests.
To ruR EDITOR or THE sUH-Sir: The inter-
estlng article In The Sun or 18th inst. on the
sure Signs OF Death. by DIR. Theodore Deecke.
lays stress upon the discoloration and turges-
Genes caused by tightly ligatlng a finger as "a
sure sign Of life II these phenomena appear
and OF death II they are absent under this pres
sure. The ligature applied In this way is' IKE a
number OF other tests. admitted by authorities
on the subject to be important as confirmatory
evidence when considered along with all the
other signs that point to death, but by itself.
although it IL a proof of life when II causes
swelling and livld discoloration. but should
these phenomena not appear II may indicate
nothing more than that the circulation has
stopped--as has often occurred with the respi-
ration, sensation, brain functions a ID calorllca-
ton for a time-but not that IL cannot go on
again.
Various prizes have been offered and awards
made by scientific and medical societies. but
with one exception the so-called proofs Of death
for which the awards have been given are
deemed unsatisfactory. The British Medical
journal. Jan. 81, 1893, page ii5, thus reports the
case OF award for the only kind OF proof that
has been found 10 be infallible; THE Academic
des Sciences OF Paris proposed as the subject
for the Dusgate prize for 1900 The Signs OF
Deutn anu the Nltuub Oh IItNtulluk fltHlutuiO
Burial The prize. 500 francs. has been
awarded to DR.. Maze. who considers that putre-
faction Is the only certain sign. He urges that
deaths should be certified by medical men on
oath; also that in every cemetery there should
be a mortuary where dead bodies can be de-
posted and that burial should take place only
when putrelactive changes set m. In our
country. where emDalining mas become
cautions should precede that operation and
also in the cases Of autopsy and cremation,
should consult the Austrian Imperial law, as II
IL the most comprehensive, practical and strict
OF all others. A condensed account Of it will be
found in THE Sun OF NAV II, 1898. Among the
duties Of the ONT al examiners OF the dead,
which are defined a. p some sixteen rules. Is the
declaration that the only sure sign OF death
being general decomposition, which a. a rule
come late In the case. the examiner, In the alb
sInSIe o. sir snlS bit ptoHR b: must must n base ee b b%'1 conc py iS%s
upon an assemblage OF all the signs that point
70 death, and to any injuries that may involve
Among the modern authorities on this sub
Ject none. perhaps. has investigated more
eStaIepsy and other II forms Of death co1nteTfeits
than the late Sir Benjamin. Ward Richardson,
NJ. d.. +. s., AID he was OF the o ,inlon that
death Ger i1cation-except where they are de-
fined and guarded by legal provisions were
f "a q p Sprel on th as RPbsooIIsst0e 81 SINS SsT ss Of DEATH Sa de@'h;
formulated the following eleven tests as neces-
determine the fact OF dissolution:
L. Respiratory failure. including absence OF
visible movements OF the chest, absence Of
re piratory murmur, absence of evidence of
Transportation Of water vapor from the lungs
by the breath.
terial pulsation. OF cardiac motion. and OF
cardiac sounds.
3. Absence Of turgescence, OF filling OF the
veins on making pressure between them and
the heart (the ligature).
4 Reducture Of the temperature OF the BODY
below the normal standard. es degrees FAIR in
8. Rlgor norris and muscular collapse.
Q. Coagulation OF the blood.
z. Putrefactive decomposition.
8. Absence OF red color In reimbursement
parts under the influence OF a powerful stream
o, Absence OF muscular contraction under
the stimulus OF galvanism, OF heat and OF pune
ture.
10. Absence Of red blush Of the skin after
subcutaneous injection OF ammonia tMonti-
verdi's tesO.
bright steel blade, after p~lunging IL deep into
the tissues tthe needle test of Cloquet and
Laborde). He concludes as follows: III all
oation OF respiratory function; II there be no
signs OF movement OF the pulse or heart, and
do not enlarge on The distal side OF the hilet;
4 the blood in the veins contains a coaRulum:
4 the g%alvanio STIMULUS fails to produce muscq-
causes a dirty brown blotch the evidence may
be considered conclusive that death is abso-
Lutte. II these signs leave any doubt, or II they
leave no doubt, one further point OF practice
should be carried out. The body should be
KEPT In n room the temperature OF which has
been raised TO a heat OF ~ degrees Fair, with
difused through the air, and In this
warm and moist atmosphere II should remain
until distinct Indications Of putrefactive de-
composition have set In"
This distinguished physician left precise in
structions that on no account was his body to
be buried or cremated until 1t exhibited un-
signs OF decomposition. This was
carried out by his executors.
Epw p. VoLLUM. NJ. d.
BADEN BADEN, Aug. so.