PREMATURE BURIALS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 9288, 14 January 1892, Page 3

PREMATURE BURIALS.

10 THE EDITOR. g IR) —^You published a horrible account of a premature burial. The story waß American, and probably exaggerated. There have been, however, a sufficient number of woll-authenticatod cases within the last twenty years— I havo heard of at least twenty —to make ono feel very anxious. Of thoso buried, very, vory fow are re-examined. If, therefore, ho large a proportion of the few examined have been found to have been interred alive, tho probability h th it a vory large percentage of the total number buried are buried alive. Is it not desirable that sufficient precautions should be made compulsory to ensure the impossibility of revival ? A medical certificate is, I believe, necessary. This is good, but insufficient. A gentleman who olds an" English diploma is, of course, competent and honest, but not infallible. This last is too evident for dispute. Probably most of your readers have, like myself, abundant evidence. In my case more than a dozen particular friends and relations havo lost their lives through the mistakes ef Doctors of Medicine, all of whom ranked high in tnoir profession. A surgeon is invaluable for wounds, and fortunate 18 tbo patient who has a qualified Sractitioner at hand. For sickness a octor ia necessary. His help increases the chances of cure. If I were sick I would go to, or. send for, a doctor, and I should expect benefit. It is always beneficial to talk over ono's troubles with one who appears to sympathise ; ho' will raise one's spirits, and this is worth paying for, and may save life even if the medicine is given to the dogs. The mistakes of medical men, though many and grevious", •re not sufficient to destroy confidence in their help, but more than sufficient to make m hesitate to bury because one, or a host of, them say,— "He is dead.". A medical certificate relieves the survivors of responsibility, but giveß no security that there shall not be a revival to a most horrible death. No person should be buried before revival has been rendered impossible, Any person — but only medical men should be allowed to do it, except in case, of emergency — can inflict such a wound in a moment as would make it impossible. For myself, I consider burial a mistake. For the sake of the living the deal should be crumated. While, however, tho custom of burial continues, I think we should have absolute security "against the possibility of revival after confinement in the tomb. Revival to a certain arid a most horrible death. — I am, &0., ( . SIMLAT.