A work to which we are particularly indebted for the literature of the subject is that of the late Dr. Félix Gannal, “Mort Apparente et Mort Réelle: moyens de les distinguer.” Paris, 1890. Dr. Gannal, having qualified in medicine and pharmacy, occupied himself with the business of embalming, which he inherited from his father. He employed the considerable leisure which the practice of that art left to him in compiling the above laborious work. He examined many books, pamphlets, theses, and articles, from which he cited expressions of opinion on the several points—in a lengthy form in his original edition (1868), in a condensed form in the second edition. His Bibliography is by far the most comprehensive that has been hitherto compiled. Our own Bibliography had been put together from various sources before we made use of Dr. Gannal’s. It includes several titles which he does not give; while, on the other hand, it has been considerably extended beyond its original limits by transcribing titles which we have found nowhere but in his list. The Bibliography, it need hardly be said, is much more extensive than our own reading; but it seemed useful to make it as complete as possible, whether the books had been seen by us or not, so as to show in chronological order how much interest had been aroused in the subject from time to time—in one country more than another, or in various countries together. The titles of articles in journals, which belong for the most part to the more recent period, have been taken from the Index Catalogue of the Surgeon-General’s Library, Washington, a few references being added to articles which have otherwise come under our notice.
W. T.
CONTENTS.
| PAGE | |
| Preface | [1] |
| Introduction | [9] |
| CHAPTER I. | |
| Trance | [21] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Catalepsy | [32] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| Animal and So-called Human Hibernation | [40] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| Premature Burial | [51] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| Narrow Escapes from Premature Burial | [64] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| Formalities and their Fatal Consequences | [105] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| Probable Cases of Premature Burial | [113] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| Predisposing Causes and Conditions of Death-Counterfeits | [120] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| Premature Burial and Cremation in India. The Towers of Silence | [129] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| The Danger of Hasty Burials | [144] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| The Fear of Premature Burial | [153] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| Sudden Death | [159] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| The Signs of Death | [180] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| The Duration of Death-Counterfeits | [208] |
| CHAPTER XV. | |
| The Treatment of the Dead | [215] |
| CHAPTER XVI. | |
| Number of Cases of Premature Burial | [220] |
| CHAPTER XVII. | |
| Embalming and Dissections | [229] |
| CHAPTER XVIII. | |
| Death-Certification | [238] |
| CHAPTER XIX. | |
| Suggestions for Prevention | [257] |
| CHAPTER XX. | |
| Cremation as a Preventive of Premature Burial | [275] |
| CHAPTER XXI. | |
| Waiting Mortuaries | [285] |
| CHAPTER XXII. | |
| Conclusion | [316] |
| APPENDIX A. | |
| Historical Cases of Restoration from Apparent Death | [325] |
| APPENDIX B. | |
| Resuscitation of Still-Born and other Infants | [341] |
| APPENDIX C. | |
| Recovery of the Drowned | [347] |
| APPENDIX D. | |
| Miscellaneous Addenda | [350] |
| APPENDIX E. | |
| The Jewish Practice of Early Burial | [353] |
| APPENDIX F. | |
| Summary of Ordinances, etc., Relating to the Inspection ofCorpses and of Interments | [360] |
| ——— | |
| Bibliography | [363] |
| Index | [389] |