The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-11-14
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=: DANGER OF BURIAL ALIVE. :
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pr. T.. +. Nollum, United States ar
my, was, when "A lad of 10 years,
drowned" in Long Island Sound one
morning about 10 o'clock. His body
was placed I'm "A wagon and hauled
three miles To his home and prepared
for burial. Al daylight next morning
one Of the watchers discovered signs
of life Nollum, after graduating at the
medical college, passed the army eN-
animation and became a doctor in the
army.
NJ the battle Of Gettysburg, "a bull
let passed through the head of Gen.
Paul, tearing out both eyes. Three
days later his body was removed from
the field into a house. DR.. Nollum, hav-
ing had a narrow escape from prema-
ture burial had adopted the opinion
that there is no certainty of death un-
I'll the body clearly shows decay" and
refused to 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.
In the afternoon of the battle of
ChickamauSa. an Ohio soldier on
Snodgrass Hill, was shot through the
body. He was carried to the regi-
mental surgeon and pronounced dead.
The writer had the pleasure OF going
over that deld in 1898 with this sol
der 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
conscious 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 Or, Nolum was transferred to
the retired list he went abroad, and
there met wealthy Englishman. who
paid the expenses of publishing the
book Nollum wrote some years later
ON premature burials.
Nollum states that two undertakers
in England told the Englishman and
himself. that If what they person
ally knew was published, it would hor-
Gify the world He stated that if a
person died in Germany, the law re-
quirCd that it be at once reported To
the nearest physician of the govern
mcnt, who at once takes possession of
the body, moves it To "A mOrtuary, plaC-
fn, In,
under constant observation until decay
is shown. The mortuaries are built in
and the attendants live i'm
them. 1t is said that the last mor;u&"y
built i'm 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 prccau- |
ton necessary. Their doctors say the !
shocks To the solar pleNus caused 10y "a !
wound, fall a blow from a
fist or club, or a tired and hungry per- |
son 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 |
'cvives, 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
he body time 10 recover and allow
me- al our undertakers at once To in
cct 10 cents worth of embalmng nuid
INTO the body kills all chances of its
'ver rcNiNinG. II would look as if Am
'ricans were anxious to get rid of
heir parent. and grandparents, for, of
curse, middle-agcd ana old people are
much moro liable than young people to
state Of suspended animation.-Bal-
imOro sun.