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'Cbe Conservative * 11
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CREMATION ; IN ITS BEARING ON
PUBLIC HEALTH.
Sanitary science has taught us truths
so important as to the deleterious effects
of placing the bodies of our dead in al
most hermetically sealed coffins and then
depositing them in the earth , that , if
we were not in daily contact with the
blind conservatism of the human race ,
we should be surprised that this method
was not long ago supplanted by some
other system which would effect quickly
and advantageously that which goes on
in the grave slowly and mischievously.
As says Sir Henry Thompson : "No
dead body is ever buried within the
earth without polluting the soil , the
water , and the air around and above it ; "
r
and to this statement Sir T. Spencer
Wells adds his testimony in a paper
road before the British Medical Associa
tion : "Decomposing human remains so
pollute earth , air , and water as to di
minish the general health and average
duration of life. "
Singular as it may appear , this very
pollution has the effect of making the
contaminated water more attractive as
a beverage. The sparkling brilliancy
which is found so pleasant and refresh
ing is chiefly due to the large amount of
nitrates contained within the water ;
and these are the results of decompo
sition. Upon this question the London
Lancet , which is perhaps the highest
medical authority that we have , speaks
with no uncertain sound when it says :
"It is a well ascertained fact that the
surest carrier and the most deadly
fruitful nidus of zymotic contagion is
this very brilliant , enticing water ,
charged with the nitrates which result
from decomposition. "
A source of danger which is apt to be
overlooked is the possibility of spread
ing disease through the agency of liv
ing organisms. Pasteur suggests that
in cemeteries it is very possible that
germs propagating specific diseases of
different kinds may be carried to the
surface of the soil by earth worms ; and
Prof. Kook , having made observations
in the same direction maintains that ,
almost without regard to the depth at
which a body may be interred , the
spores may ascend to the surface and in
fect those who come within the reach Q\ \
their influence.
In his work "On the Causes of Some
Epidemics , " Mr. Cooper cites , among
other oases , that of Eyam , in Derby
shire , England , where an immediate
outbreak of the plague was occasioned
by the digging-up of the burial places
of former victims ; and wo are furthei
told by Mr. Eassie that , in 1843 , when a
parish church in Gloucestershire was
rebuilding , some of the superfluous soi
of the burial-ground was sold for ma
nure and deposited in many of the
neighboring gardens , with the rcsul
that the town was nearly decimated
VI. Parisofc , a special investigator of the
rronch govorument , also traces the out-
> reak of the plague in Egypt , in 1828 ,
o the opening of a disused burial-
ground about twelve or fourteen miles
'rom Cairo.
In the discussion of the subject of
srematiou , a great advance has been
nade in the last few years. The theory
las gained a victory , but there yet re-
nains a widely diffused prejudice
against the practice. And yet , in this ,
man only seeks the best method of do
ing nature's work in her own way , but
more quickly than she can do it unas
sisted. He only aims at the encompass-
tnent of the rapid reduction of the
jody by means of a heat which purifies
very exhalation , and leaves but pure ,
white , and absolutely harmless ashes.
The ceremony which accompanies the
.ucineration of a body need not be
shorn of one item of religious rite , and
our church-yards may , without fear of
any evil effects , bo used as the reposi
tories of the ashes.
One who has witnessed this ceremony ,
and by the sight has been converted
from an opponent to an earnest sup
porter of the system , writes : "As we
turned from the incinerator , where we
had left the body of our friend , it was
pleasant to think of him still resting in
its rosy light , surrounded and enveloped
by what seemed to us as floods of purity.
It was grateful , too , to feel that what
ever might remain after would be as he
would wish it , clean , and white , and ,
like his own pure self , without offence
to thought or memory. After all that I
have seen , I must say that my feelings
are completely changed , and that the
process of incineration is so much more
attractive than anything which I had
ever conceived that I would as much
rather see my dearest friend cremated
than buried as can possibly be imag
ined. "
There have been objections made to
cremation on religious grounds. We
are told that it is unscriptural and that
it militates against a belief in the resur
rection. It certainly is not forbidden in
either the Old or New Testament , and
some commentators of undoubted re
pute , such as Pusey , Bauer , and others ,
think that , in certain passages of the
sacred writings , they find evidence that ,
in former times , the Jews practiced in
cineration as well as burial. The late
Bishop of Manchester , at the consecra
tion of a new cemetery , made use of
these significant words : "Here is an
other hundred acres of laud withdrawn
from the food-producing area of the
country. I fel convinced that , before
long , we shall have to face the problem ,
how to bury the dead out of our sight
more practically and more seriously
than we have hitherto done. In the
wune sense in which 'the Sabbath was
made for man and not man for the Sab
bath,1 I hold that the earth was made ,
not for the dead , but for the living. No
ntolligeut faith can suppose that any
Christian doctrine is affected by the
nanncr in which , or the time in which ,
; his mortal body of ours crumbles into
lust. "
After thinking over the subject care
fully let us ask ourselves one or two
questions.
1. Are we willing that , after death ,
our bodies shall be so disposed of that ,
in their decomposition , they shall con
stitute an element of danger to our
survivors ?
2. Do we desire that the bodies of
those whom we loved and reverenced
on earth , and on whose works for the
welfare of others we delight to dwell ,
shall , so soon as life has departed , become -
come the originators of evil to man
kind ?
If we can answer "yes" to these
questions , then let us continue our
present methods of burial. If , how
ever , we do not desire these things ,
let us unite for the purpose of carry
ing into operation a better system.
THE "PEERLESS POSER. "
In his CONSERVATIVE , the.esteemed J.
Sterling Morton , takes occasion to dif
fer with the opinion of the Star , that
Mr. Bryan cannot again secure the nom
ination of the democrats for president.
"What " THE CONSERVATIVE
was possible , says
SERVATIVE , "to a Weaver-supporting
populist of 1892 , at alleged democratic
conventions in 1896 and 1900 , is not im
possible in 1904 to the same peerless
7\ \
poser for the plain people. " <
Two times and out would seem to be
a proper rule to apply in the case of
Mr. Bryan , even though the great nat
ional game admits of three strikes. Ad
mitting all of the superlative talent of
the democratic party for dense and
stupid politics ; conceding its propensity
to cast aside principle for expediency ;
acknowledging its tendency to take
up with any idea or fallacy which it
may believe will aid it in gaining
power ; even then there is no reason to
think that it will risk for a third time
its chances for obtaining control of the
government on a man who has twice led
the party to defeat , and who is con
fessedly weaker now than he was when
he made his first run.
The democratic party is not wise , nor
honest , nor true to any policy which
might win for it the confidence or re
spect of the people. But it is hungry
and its necessities will force a shrewder
method of meeting them than to place
at the head of its ticket in1904 a man
who is no longer peerless even as a
poser. Kansas City Star.
