Decency and public policy require that burials should not be delayed, and it may not be amiss here to observe that the old notion of arresting a body for debt, is now utterly exploded, as contrary not only to the civil and canon law, (see _Wood’s Civ. Law_, 148; 2 _Domat_ 628: _Lindw._ 278,) but to reason and the law of the land. Vide ante, Vol. 1. p. 100. Footnote 92: It is said that to act upon the mind by terror, continual griefs or vexations, though with the intent to kill, is not murder, unless there be some personal violence, 1 _East. P. C._, _p._ 225: but query this, the proof of the crime may be difficult, but its perpetration is far from impossible. To act on the mind of a pregnant woman by extreme terrors, and so produce abortion and death of malice prepense, would certainly be murder in its most atrocious form; it might require some ingenuity in framing the indictment; but our law is fertile in fictions on less worthy occasions, and ought not to allow its just vengeance to be avoided. In cases of murder by starvation there may be no actual violence, yet the law reaches this offence; sometimes indeed imprisonment forms a part of the crime, but this may not always be the case; for if the deceased were confined to his bed by disease, so that he could not seek his own food, and those who were bound to supply him maliciously neglected their duty, it would be murder by omission without any personal violence committed. _See_ _Self’s_ case, 1 _East. P. C._ 226: 1 _Leach, C.C._ 163, and authorities there. So in an indictment for starving a servant, _Lawrence_, J. intimated, that he thought the indictment insufficient, in not alleging _that Elizabeth Williams was a girl of tender years, and under the dominion and controul of the defendant_. _Rex v. Eliz. Ridley_, 2 _Camp. R._ 650. See also _Regina v. Gould. Salk._ 381. Footnote 93: “Such also was the case of the parish officers who shifted a child from parish to parish, till it died for want of care and sustinence.” 1 _East. P. C._ 226, and authorities there. Unfortunately this species of crime is not of very rare occurrence; numerous instances might be cited where the death of a pauper has been caused by the barbarous custom of removing the poor, without the slightest regard to their age, disease, or infirmity. Footnote 94: As we are not aware of the existence of any poisonous filth so noxious as to destroy by its mere stench, we shall not enlarge on this head; we have indeed heard of an attempt to kill by the smoke of burning Euphorbium, but without believing in its power. _Vide ante tit. Nuisance, et post, Aerial poisons._ Footnote 95: In this case it is not necessary that there should be any signs or even suspicion of violence; the bare fact that they died in gaol is enough. Footnote 96: