Year: 1879

INSPECTION OF THE DEAD-DR. WOOSTER BEACH


BEFORE THE MEDIco-LEGAL SOCIETY.


regular stated meeting Of the Medico-Legai So
ciety held last night at No. ~ West Thrty-frst
street. Action taken in approval of the bin to
prevent the adulteration Of food and medicine and
committee was appointed to further the objects of
the BILL After the conclusion of the regular busi-
very interesting paper read on the subject
of "Inspcction of the Dead" The author Wooster
Beach. NJ D., formerly deputy coroner, i'll. and
in his absence the paper read by Dr. J. F. Miller.


hold. said the essayist. that person who
dies in large town or city in this country should
be buried without his body being subjected to an
inspection by properly qualified officer. There
two reasons TO be urged for this procedure-the de-
lection crime and the verihcatlon OF death. The
law makes almost provision for the initiatory
steps in detecting homicide The Of
science. tho quack. the moral and wise ply
sician. the depravcd and ignorant pretender.
are In law all classed in category.
Inspection of the dead would. in all probability.
settle the question of the existence absence of
crime. Only small number OF cases of malpractice
are brought to light. Most of them concealed
by false certificates. proper efficient visitation of
the dead would reveal great many where death
has resulted from the gross negligence ignorance
of so-called physicians The signs indications Of
death usually laid down are cessation of
respiration. arrest of the hearts action. loss of
animal heat. rlgor morris and putrefaction great
many tests have been proposed to prove real DEATH
the most important being auscnltation 10 determine
whether movement of the heart be distinguished.
and application OF the gavanic current to ascer-
tain il exctability of the muscles remains
But the tests Of death available for popular
use are unreliable. and it consequently follows that


there is at least possibility of person being buried
alive Cataiepsy occasionally presents form tnat
great many cases of apparent death have been re-
ported. and some of persons buried alive From l6o
authentic cases Of apparent death the Following
causes are given i'll the order OF their frequency
syncope. hysteria. apoplexy. narcotsm and concns-


vEnrrrcAr1oS OF DEATH


My principal object in what have said has been
to awaken attention to the fact that living person
may present sigps OF death sufncently well marked
to deceive the unskilled and even to require care
full, scientifically conducted examination to establish
the fact that the body of such person still contains
life. 1t is not very unusual thing for physician
to furnish certificate of death before the
actual demise of his patient Aud all know of
instances where in such the doctors gloomy
prognosis has not been verified, and the individual
whom he has consigned to the tomb has. perhaps
ment which, under ordinary circumstances, ought
to be conclusive evidence OF his own death.


The eminent physicians who have given thorough
study to the subject assert their belief most posi-
lively that apparent death may be mistaken for real
and by their exertions have influenced legislation to
prevent evil consequences. In Europe govern
ment prcscribes the time that corpse
must be kept before burial. In this coun-
try there statutory laws governing
this matter. Our laws furnish no protection
against the danger of burying person while alive
and the avoidance of such an accident entirely
on the care OF those having charge of the body be-
fore interment. Iu this country the body of de-
ceased person is placed in a box and pounded ice
thrown in to completely envelope it, and
the temperature is reduced low that
actual freezing Of the tissues takes place. One
effect only followif the vital spark were in the
person before being subjected to the intense cold it
needs argument to show that it would take but
very short exposure to it's influence to
entirely extingush it. Almost the first effect of
cold, when intense enough to cause DEATH
is nsensblity. with entire loss of muscular motion
The person exposed to it could make movement
nor utter any outcry to indicate that he suffer-
ing dying from its effects. Once packed in the ice
his death is as sure II committed to the grave
With supposed dead body does not have time to be
before it is packed in ice. Is thero
real danger in this? Under circumstances should
tho burial of body be allowed an hour or two after
death. But why not well bury IT as place it i'll
situation of equal peril 1t. supposing life not to
have departed from it?


see but one way to accomplish the establishment
Of the fact Of death with certainty and that is by
the appointment OF officers to inspect tho dead.