Premature Burial and How It May Be PreventedTebb, William
Science
Premature Burial and How It May Be Prevented
Tebb, William
Burial, Premature
“‘The mother of a family had just lost her child, aged five years. She
carried to the Leichenhäuser a heart broken by grief, cherishing the
vague hope in the depth of her love that this separation would not
be the last. According to habit the families of Munich exposed the
corpse in a mortuary chamber amidst flowers and trees, and surrounded
by a circle of light. The Leichenhäus then appeared to have lost its
habitual funereal character--for it had quite a festive air. The
poor mother passed the night amidst tears and prayers, waiting with
anxiety and hoping for the arrival of the good news. The next morning
a workman of the Leichenhäuser knocked at the door of the house with
a large bundle which he carried in his arms; a few seconds after, the
mother pressed to her heart the resuscitated child which she was told
she had just lost. The transports of joy she experienced were so great
that she fell down dead. The child had come to life in the mortuary by
himself, and, when the keeper saw it, it was playing with the white
roses which had been placed on its shroud.’ (P. 179.)
“The same recent writer quotes the following on the testimony of the
surgeons Louis and Junker:--
“‘SALTPÉTRIÈRE.
“‘A young country girl,’ said Surgeon Louis, ‘strong and vigorous,
twenty-five years old, left on foot from the Hotel Dieu, Paris, where
she had been resting the night before, and came to Saltpétrière. The
fatigue of the journey induced an attack of syncope on her arrival.
They put her on the bed, and with cordials and warmth she revived,
but at the end of an hour she had another attack. They thought she
was dead, and carried her to the mortuary. After leaving the body--it
had remained there some time--they carried it to the amphitheatre.
The next morning a young surgeon said he had heard plaintive cries in
the amphitheatre, and his fear had prevented him from coming to tell
me. I went into the amphitheatre, and saw with sorrow that the poor
girl, who had vainly struggled to free herself from the sheet which
enveloped her, was now quite dead. She had one leg on the floor, and
an arm on the seat of the trestle of a dissecting table. I here recall
the feelings of horror with which I was agitated on this occasion.
I doubt if there ever was a sadder or more touching spectacle than
this.’ (P. 187.)
“BERLIN.
“‘A Berlin apothecary wrote to me lately’ (says Dr. Lénormand) ‘in this
town to the effect that during an interval of two years and a-half, ten
people stated to be dead had been recalled to life. I shall quote only
the following:--
“‘SOLDIER OF THE GUARD.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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