494 OFOLDAGE 



to excite the organs by violent agitations, by- 

 pricking or fcarifying the hands and feet, by 

 applying red hot iron or wax to different parts 

 of the body, by raifmg loud and unufual cries, 

 &c. But inftances have occurred where all thefe 

 and fimilar trials have proved abortive ; and yet, 

 to the aflonifhment of the fped:ators, the per- 

 fon fuppofed to be dead has afterwards recover- 

 ed the powers of life. 



Hence nothing can be more apparent, than 

 that a certain condition of life has a great 

 refemblance to adual death. Both humanity 

 and reafon, therefore, require that we ihould be 

 cautious of abandoning the body, and of com- 

 mitting it too haflily to the grave. Neither ten, 

 twenty, nor twenty-four hours are fufficient to 

 diftinguifli a real from an apparent death; fmce 

 inftances are not wanting of perfons returning 

 from the tomb at the end of two and of three 

 days. Why fhould we precipitate the interment 

 of thofe perfons, the prolongation of whofe lives 

 we mofl ardently defire ? Why fhould a prac- 

 tice fubfift, in the abolition of which all men 

 are equally interefted ? Are not the frequent a- 

 bufes recorded by phyficians fufficient to deter us 

 from too hafty interments? Mr Window * in- 

 forms us, ' That the body, though living, is 

 ' fometimes fo completely deprived of every vi- 

 * tal fundion, that it has every external appear- 



' ance 



* See Winflow dilTert. fur I'lncertltude des fignes de It^ 

 mort, p. 84. 



