Embalming is no doubt preferable, as was thought by the late Lady Burton, to the risks, prevailing in almost all countries, of burial before careful medical examination, for the reason that it is better to be killed outright by the embalmer’s poisonous injections, or even to come to life under the scalpel of the anatomist, than to recover underground. A leading New York investigator has openly declared his belief that a considerable number of human beings (supposed by their relatives to be dead, but who are really only in a state of death trance) are annually killed in America by the embalming process. EMBALMING. In the second edition of Dr. Curry’s “Observations on Apparent Death,” 1815, p. 105, the case is cited of William, Earl of Pembroke, who died April 10, 1630. When the body was opened in order to be embalmed, he was observed, immediately after the incision was made, to lift up his hand. F. Kempner, in “Denkschrift,” p. 6, says:-- “Owing to some great mental excitement, the Cardinal Spinosa fell into a state of apparent death. He was declared to be dead by his physicians, and they proceeded to open his chest for the purpose of embalming his body. When the lungs were laid open, the heart began to beat again; the cardinal returned to consciousness, and was just able to grasp the knife of the surgeon when he fell back and died in reality.”[19] [PREMATURE EMBALMENT.] The _Journal de Rouen_, Aug. 5th, 1837, relates the following:-- “Cardinal Somaglia was seized with a severe illness, from extreme grief; he fell into a state of syncope, which lasted so long that the persons around him thought him dead. Preparations were instantly made to embalm his body, before the putrefactive process should commence, in order that he might be placed in a leaden coffin, in the family vault. The operator had scarcely penetrated into his chest when the heart was seen to beat. The unfortunate patient, who was returning to his senses at that moment, had still sufficient strength to push away the knife of the surgeon, but too late, for the lung had been mortally wounded, and the patient died in a most lamentable manner.” Dr. Hartmann in “Premature Burial,” p. 80, says:-- “The celebrated actress Mlle. Rachel died at Paris, on 4th January, 1858. After the process of embalming her body had already begun, she awoke from her trance, but died ten hours afterwards owing to the injuries that had been inflicted upon her.” The _Celestial City_, New York, June 15, 1889, records:-- “MRS. BISHOP’S EXPERIENCE.