On the 6th and 7th of June, 1876, an international cremation congress, which was attended by representatives from almost all countries of the globe, was held at Dresden, and did much to promote the interests of incineration in Germany. Many important resolutions were adopted, among others that of forming an international committee to establish a journal for the propagation of cremation. On June 7, the delegates witnessed the cineration of several animals in a Siemens apparatus, which completely reduced the animals experimented upon in one hour and one-half. [Illustration: INTERIOR OF WASHINGTON CREMATORY. The accompanying wood-cut represents that part of the crematory at Washington, Pa., in which the incineration takes place. The numbers refer respectively to (1) the incinerator, closed; (2) the fire-box, open; (3) the ash-pit; and (4) coal-bin. The room, as will be seen, is needlessly plain, and might with slightly increased expense in building be made more attractive. An ornamental front concealing the brick-work and the coal-bin would serve greatly to improve its appearance. With a slightly different arrangement the fire-box and ash-pit might be kept continually out of sight. If the incinerator were turned end for end and made to open from the opposite side, nothing would be seen by the friends of the deceased but its open door and rosy light, which are most attractive to the eye. ] Cremation is now most extensively practiced in Gotha, in the new crematory established by the municipal council of that city, which was opened to the public on the 17th of November, 1878. The first cremation at Gotha came off on the afternoon of the 10th of December, 1878, when Mr. Stier, a civil engineer whose embalmed body had awaited the completion of the crematorium for some time, was consigned to the furnace. Since the establishment of the crematory, over 500 persons have been incinerated at Gotha, many of whom were from foreign lands,—Russia, England, France, America, etc. Berlin is the center of the reform in Germany. The Berlin cremation society has an enormous membership, and counts among its members many persons of distinction. Altogether the society numbers 534 members, 45 of them being physicians. Italy may be considered the pioneer of cremation in modern times; for there, for the first time, incineration was practiced in a systematic and improved manner, and in no land have the cremationists been so active and energetic in advocating the reform as in this. From 1774 till 1874 cremation was advocated by Piattoli, Moleschott, Coletti, Morelli, Du Jardin, Bertain, Castiglione, Pini, and Polli.