124, 



who have died of infectious disorders, or in houses where 

 there is not sufficient space to allow of that seclusion which is 

 essential to the solemn recognition of the awful visitant. 

 Where, as is too frequent, a family occupies but one room, it 

 is quite impossible for the remains to retain that consideration 

 they should ever have. Sometimes there are premature inter- 

 ments through a precipitation resulting from the want of space 

 for retaining the corpse in the dwelling-house ; sometimes, 

 whilst awaiting the convenience of the survivors, decay com- 

 mences before it is consigned to the earth : in both these 

 cases the Reception House is valuable, securing immunity to 

 the survivor from the sad effects of corruption, and that delay 

 which should always be allowed until unmistakeable tokens 

 that life is really extinct show themselves. 



The Reception House, at Pranckfort, consists of a number 

 of temperately warmed and well-ventilated chambers, in one of 

 which the body is deposited : near these rooms, is a bed-room, 

 and a bath, so that in the event of revival means are at hand 

 to facilitate recovery. A medical inspector resides on the 

 premises, and the warders or watchers are with the bodies 

 night and day. 



If cemeteries were constructed on the side of the railways, 

 at a suitable distance from towns or large villages, the Recep- 

 tion House might be at the station, secluded from the bustle 

 of the ordinary traffic. On the removal for interment the 

 funeral cortege might occupy the last carriage of the train, 

 which could be unhooked on arrival at the cemetery, and 

 wheeled into a siding. Here the coffin might be placed upon 

 a bier, and wheeled along a narrow tramway into the chapel, 

 for the service, and thence to the grave side, where a mechani- 

 cal arrangement may be provided for lowering the coffin to its 

 last resting place, more consonant with the character of the 

 solemnity than the clumsy plan at present in use. Let it not 

 be objected to this suggestion that the rate of railway travel- 

 ling is uncongenial to the purpose of the journey ; do we uol 



