CREMATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13917, 31 May 1909, Page 4

CREMATION.

Sonic people will note with satisfaction the increased interest t]iat has. been taken of late iu.tlic .subject of crematr-" AVitliiu; the last few weeks'tho mortal remains of: Swinburne tlio poet and Meredith the novelist liavo ' been cremated. A • crematorium •is > being erected ?in "Wellington . So'- far'tliis sanitary method •of disposing ' of: tlje dead is- chiefly. confined to -tlie,; more highly cultured ; and intellectual,classes

Home, and it will take time for the

- j uriority of the ancient custom of cremation to again become generally recognised by the masses. It was an almost- universal custom among the ar.cient Indo-European races; but the advent of Christianity with its belief ii« the resurrection of the body, brought the custom into disfavour. The bias against it was based on a misapprehension. Cremation only means that the Itody is reduced more swiftly to its constituent elements. "Ultimately, we believe., cremation will again hecome the recognised mode of disposing of the dead, may even become compulsory. and carried out under Government supervision. Sanitary science is workiing in the direction of demanding it. Perhaps progress fn that direction would Ik- greatly accelerated if writers on the subject would take more chre not to offend or do violence to the feelings of others who are attached to the ordinary method of ( burial. Neither side should treat the matter with frivolity or lightness, nor attempt to thrust their views upon others. Let the matter be approached on rational grounds. and in a decorous manner, and the growth of feeling in f:.vour of cremation might be rapid. There is much need for funeral reform, in the interest especially of those who can least afford the cost of the present custom. Fashion decrees the formality and the. costliness of the modern funeral, and poor people often Ifave to contract fresh debts in order to comply with the current convention. The cost of cremation at Manchester is only £2 2s. with a prospect of a reduction. The only solid objection to cremation is that mentioned hv a member of'the Government' in Wellington a. few days ago —that it woulds pre vent the discovery of death by poison in certain cases. This difficulty could be met by a rigid official inspection. The Cremation Society in England requires in each case where cremation is desired, two certificates of the cause of death from medical men. besides the ordinary registrar's c-rtificate. and one of them sets forth J bat. in the opinion of the person ccrtifvinp, " there are no circumstances connected with the death which could r>nke exhumation necessary.' If "these certificates are inconclusive, a post mortem examination is ordered, and in the event of the relatives objecting t» one. the cremation is refused. Cremation in England practicpllv began with three cases in 18?o. J.nsfc year there were TOR. For obvious "reasons it is. to he exnected that cremation will be practically adopted first at the larger centres, hut the sentiment in favour of it can be bmit I,n in the smaller centres by consideration of its superiority in several resects to -the traditional method of disposing of the dead.