Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-06-08
DANGER OF BURIAL ALIVE
Instances of Suspended Animation, In
Guiding Case at Washington
Cleveland Pls.n DealerO

DR.. E. P. VolIum, L. S. A, was when
lad of Is years, drowned in Long
Island Sound one morning about ~
O'Clock. His body was placed in a
wagon and hauled miles TO his home
and prepared for burial. At daylight
next morning one of the watchers dis
covered signs of life. Vollum, after
graduating at the medical college,
passed the army examination and
became a doctor in the army.
At the battle of Gettysburg bullet
passed through the head of Gen. Paul,
tearing out both eyes. Three days lat
er his body was removed from the field
into a house. Dr. Vollum having had
narrow escape from premature bur-
ial, had adopted the opinion that
there is no certainty of death until the
body clearly shows decay" refused 60
have him buried. Several days later
the general showed, signs of life, and
in time recovered his health and
strength, and, although blind, lived
for fourteen years in Washington, D.
C.
In the afternoon of the battle II
Chickamauga an Ohio soldier on Snod-
grass Hill was shot through the BODY.
He was carried to the regimental sur
geon and pronounced dead. The writ
er had the pleasure in 1898 of going
over that sfelid with this soldier ana
his handsome young daughter. He
was then a member of the Ohio state
legislature, and was a robust man.
1t seems that the third day after he
was shot he became sufficiently con-
scious to attract the attention Of a
sergeant of a 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 a wealthy Englishpan, who
paid the expenses of publishing the
book Vollum wrote some years later
on premature burials.
Vollum states that two undertakes
in England told the Englishman and
himself that if what they personally
knew was published it would horrify
the world" He stated that if person
died in Germany the law required that
it be reported to the nearest physician
of the government, who at once takes
possession of the BODY, moves it to
mortuary, placing it in comfortable
bed, where it is under constant obser-
walton until decay is shown. The NOR
tuaries are built in cemeteries, ana
the attendants 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 any one being buried alive
shows that they consider the precau-
ton necessary. Their doctors say the
shock to the solar pleXus caused by a
gunshot wound, fall, blow from a
fist or club, or a tired and hungry
person drinking a quantity of ice
cold water or beer, may cause. appar-
ent 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 and not give
the body time to recover, and allowing
all our undertakes at once to inject
10 cents worth of embalming fluid into
the body kills all chances of its ever
reviving. 1t would look as if Ameri-
cans were anxious to get rid of their
parents and grandparents, for, cf
course, middle-aged and old people are
much more liable than young people
to a state of suspended animation.