Premature Burial and How It May Be Prevented

by William Tebb; Edward Perry Vollum

The instructions of the Inspector, for the resuscitation of a body suspected of apparent death only, are to be followed most strictly.

§ 9.

The Inspector has to give a certificate of corpse inspection confirmatory of his inspection, but he must only issue the same if he has fully ascertained the actuality of death.

§ 10.

(1) As a rule the bodies must not be interred before the lapse of 48 hours, but not later than 72 hours, after death.

The Police Authorities may, however, at the recommendation of the Corpse Inspector, exceptionally grant permission for the burial before the expiration of 48 hours if a post-mortem dissection has taken place, also if decomposition has set in, and if on account of lack of room the body has to be preserved in an overcrowded habitation.

Appendix to the Police Instructions as to Corpse Inspection and time of Burial, of 20th November, 1885.

I.

The purpose of corpse inspection is to prohibit the concealment of deaths by violent means or resulting from medical malpractices; to detect infectious diseases, and the establishment of correct death lists; and particularly to prevent the burial of people only apparently dead. For this purpose each corpse is to be closely examined on the first inspection as to any signs of death, both in the front and the back of the body.