“In the village of Achen, in Würtemburg, Mrs. Eva Meyers, twenty-three years of age, was taken ill during an epidemic. Her condition became rapidly worse, and she apparently died. They put her into a coffin, and carried her from the warm into a cold room, there to await burial, which was to take place at two p.m. on the following day. Shortly after noon on that day, and before the carriers arrived, she awoke and made an effort to rise. Her aunt, who was present, and who believed that a ghost had taken possession of her, took a stick and would have killed her, if she had not been prevented by another woman. Nevertheless, she succeeded in pushing the body back violently into the coffin, after which she indignantly went to her room. The patient remained helplessly in that condition, and would have been buried if the usual hour for the burial had not for some reason been changed. Thus she remained for another twelve hours, when she was able to gather sufficient strength to arise. She still lives, and has paid the charges for her funeral, which were claimed by the clergy, the bell-ringer, and the undertaker.” In the United States the subject of Death-Verification has only recently begun to engage public attention. The following appears to be the only instance in which reasonable, although not altogether adequate, precautions are adopted. “DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.--CITY ORDINANCES, 1895. “CHAP. XVII.--VITAL STATISTICS. [AN AMERICAN CITY ORDINANCE.] “SECTION 3.--Whenever any person shall die within the limits of the city, it shall be the duty of the physician, attending such person, during his or her last sickness, to examine the body of such deceased person before the burial thereof, and to make out a certificate, setting forth, as far as the same may be ascertained, the name, age, colour, sex, nativity, occupation, whether married or single, duration of residence in the city, cause, date, and place of death of such deceased person; and it shall be the duty of the undertaker, or other person in charge of the burial of such deceased person, to add to such certificate the date and place of burial, and, having duly signed the same, to deposit it with the city clerk, and obtain a permit for burial; and, in the case of death from any contagious or infectious disease, said certificate shall be made and forwarded immediately; and, in each case of a physician so examining and reporting, he shall receive of the city a fee of one dollar.” “SECTION 4.--Whenever a permit for burial is applied for, in case of death without the attendance of a physician, or it is impossible to obtain a physician’s certificate, it shall be the duty of the city physician to make the necessary examination, and to investigate the case, and make and sign a certificate of the probable cause of death; and, if not satisfied as to the cause and circumstances attending such death, he shall so report to the mayor.”