Cremation and Burial. 171 



c illed in question ; that is — nil ! It is absolutely worthless for 

 all practical purposes ; yet a medical attendant's certificate is, as 

 •A rule, accepted — alone — as the best possible ! 



Ordinary medical certificates of the cause of death are worth- 

 loss, on the ground also of indefiniteness. Of what worth in such 

 a document (for any purpose) is such a word — for instance — as 

 "enteritis," which is commonly used, and wliicli would cover — I 

 learn from an expert — ninety-nine cases in a hundred of poisoning, 

 accidental or deliberate ! For these reasons the present system 

 simjDly offers a premium to murder. 



It may be asked — Is it really necessary to liave an expensive 

 autopsy in every case of death ? By no means. Sir H. Thompson, 

 ill his " Modern Cremation," has carefully estimated the per- 

 centage of cases in which there is room for doubt as to the cause 

 of death — at one in a hundred. One autopsy in every hundred 

 cases would not be too much to pay for, for the security all lound, 

 attained ; and would in any case be trifling, compared to one 

 exhumation and more difticult autopsy afterwards. 



But the common ignorant objection to an autopsy, arises liere 

 for consideration. An antipathy, if harmless, may be defensible. 

 But society has only itself to rely upon ; and has an admitted 

 interest, right, and duty, in claiming an autopsy for the general 

 security against poison, etc., for the protection of human life; and 

 what is more — in suspecting an objector of having a motive whicli 

 itself should constitute an ample ground for insisting upon an 

 autopsy. Such a suspicion should at once over-rule the objection 

 of any person, if it failed to prevent him from making it. 



Few people are pi'epared to believe how absolutely unprotected 

 we are against murder ; but Judge Williams' statement is no 

 exaggeration. There is at present no guarantee that any one of 

 us may not be poisoned and buried next week, without any 

 enquiry whatever ; provided that a registered practitioner, drunk 

 or sober, wise or foolish, give a true but vague certificate of the 

 cause of death — as " enteritis," after poisoning a patient — acci- 

 dentally or deliberately ! People forget that by insuring their 

 lives, or making their wills, they give to others a direct interest in 

 their deaths.^ and that there are plenty of unsuspected unscrupulous 

 persons going about, to take advantage of the facilities afforded. 

 Any invalid or feeble person is absolutely at their mercy, or 



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