Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-11-21
investigator Shows Great Dan
ger Of Hasty lnterment.
Shoot; to Solar Plexus, q Fall, . Blow.
or . Tired and Hungry Person
Drinking iee-cold Water, May
Z Cause Apparent Death.

DR.. T.. +. VOhum, Unlteu otates
army, was, when lad Of sixteen
years, drowned" in Long Island
sound one morning about ten o'clock.
His body was placed in a wagon and
hauled three miles to his home and
prepared for burial. At daylight next
morning one of the watchers discov-
cred signs of life. Vollum, after grad
uating at the medical college, passed
the army examination and became q
doctor in the army.
At the battle Of Gettysburg bullet
passed through the head OF General
Paul, tearing out both eyes. Three
days later his body was removed from
the field into a house. DR.. Vollum,
having had a narrow escape from pre-
mature burial had adopted the opin-
ion that there Is no certainty OF
death until the body clearly shows
decay" and refused to have him
buried. Several days later the gen.
eral showed signs of life. and In time
recovered his health and strength,
and. although blind, lived for IA years
in Washington.
In the afternoon OF the battle Of
Chickamauga an Ohio soldier on Snod-
grass hill was shot through the body.
He was carried to the regimental
surgeon and pronounced dead. The
writer had the pleasure of going over
that field in 1893 with this soldier and
his handsome young daughter He
was then a member Of the Ohio state
legislature, and was robust. healthy
man.
1t seems that the third day after he
was shot he became sufficiently con-
scious to attract the attention of a
sergeant of Virginia regiment, who
poured some water on his wound and
gave him some to drink. The next
day the Confederates carried him to
the doctors at Snodgrass house.
after DR.. Vollum was transferred to
the retired list he went abroad, and
there met wealthy Englishman, who
paid the expenses Of publishing the
on premature burials.
Vollum states that two undertakers
in England told the Englishman and
himself that if what they personally
knew was published 1t would horrify
the world" He stated that II per-
son died in Germany the law required
that it be at once reported to the
nearest physician of the government
who at once takes possession of the
body. moves it to mortuary. placing
1t in a comfortable bed. where it is
under constant observation until de-
cay is shown. The mortuaries are
built in cemeteries. and the attend
ants live in them. 1t is said that the
last mortuary built in Munich cost
several hundred thousand dollars.
Germany is not wealthy nation,
and that such a frugal nation should
spend thousands of dollars every year
to prevent anyone being buried alive
shows that they consider the precau-
ton necessary. Their doctors say the
shock to the solar plexus caused by
fist or club, or tired and hungry
person drinking quantity OF ice-cold
water or beer, may cause apparent
death that may last for days until the
system RECEIVERS from the shock and
revives, and the person lives. The
same may also occur from weakness
caused by illness, especially during
epidemics.
They seem to think that American
customs are rather brutal. To bury
within two or three days does not
give the body time to recover, and al
lowing all our undertakers at once to
inject ten cents worth of embalming
fluid into the body kills all chances of
its ever reviving. 1t would look as If
Americans were anxious to get rid of
their parents and grandparents, for,
of course, middle-aged and old people
are much more liable than young peo-
pie to state of suspended ANNA
ton.