The _British Medical Journal_, January 21, 1871, p. 71, gives the following case, under the heading, “Alive in a Coffin”:--“Stories of this kind are generally very apocryphal; but the following reaches us from an authentic source. A child narrowly escaped being buried alive last week in Manchester. The infant’s father had died, and was to be buried in Ardwick Cemetery. The day before the burial the infant was taken ill, and apparently died. A certificate of death was procured from a surgeon’s assistant who had seen the child, and, to save expense, it was decided to place it in the same coffin with the father. This was done, and the next morning the bearers set off to the cemetery with their double burden; but before reaching the grave-yard a cry was heard to issue from the coffin. The lid being removed, the infant was discovered alive and kicking. It was at once removed to a neighbour’s house, but died eight hours afterwards. The _British Medical Journal_, 1885, ii., p. 841, gives the following case, under the heading, “Death or Coma?” “The close similarity which is occasionally seen to connect the appearance of death with that of exhaustion following disease, was lately illustrated in a somewhat striking manner. An infant seized with convulsions was supposed to have died about three weeks ago at Stamford Hill. After five days’ interval, preparations were being made for its interment, when, at the grave’s mouth, a cry was heard to come from the coffin. The lid was taken off, and the child was found to be alive; it was taken home, and is recovering.” The following is from Tidy’s “Legal Medicine,” pt. i., p. 29:-- “In a communication to the French Academy, Professor Fort mentions a child (_ætat._ three) having been resuscitated by artificial respiration continued for four hours, and not commenced until three and a half hours after its apparent decease. “Ogston records one case of a child alive for seven hours, and a second case of a young woman alive for four hours, after they had been left as dead.” From the _Lancet_, April 22, 1882, p. 675:-- “PREMATURE INTERMENT. “A daily contemporary states that at the gates of the Avignon cemetery the parents of a child certified to have died of croup insisted on having the coffin opened to take a last look. The child was found breathing, and is expected to be saved.” The following letter to the editor of the _Lancet_, March 31, 1866, p. 360, illustrates the danger to which infants supposed to be dead are exposed, under one of our traditional customs:-- “LAYING-OUT OF DEAD INFANTS.