DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD. 595 



velous and beautiful example of intimate relation between the two 

 kingdoms. 



I return to consider man's interference with the process in question 

 just hinted at in the quotation, " Bury the dead out of my sight." 



The process of decomposition affecting an animal body is one 

 that has a disagreeable, injurious, often fatal influence on the living 

 man if sufficiently exposed to it. Thousands of human lives have 

 been cut short by the poison of slowly-decaying and often diseased 

 animal matter. Even the putrefaction of some of the most insignifi- 

 cant animals has sufficed to destroy the noblest. To give an illustra- 

 tion which comes nearly home to some of us — the graveyard pollu- 

 tion of air and water alone has probably found a victim in some social 

 circle known to more than one who may chance to read this paper. 

 And I need hardly add that in times of pestilence its continuance 

 has been often due mainly to the poisonous influence of the buried 

 victims. 



Man, then, throughout all historic periods, has got rid of his dead 

 kin after some fashion. He has either hidden the body in a cave 

 and closed the opening to protect its tenant from wild beasts, for the 

 instinct of affection follows most naturally even the sadly-changed re- 

 mains of pur dearest relative ; or, the same instinct has led him to 

 embalm and preserve as much as may be so preservable — a delay 

 only of Nature's certain work — or the body is buried beneath the 

 earth's surface, in soil, in wood, in stone, or metal — each mode an- 

 other contrivance to delay, but never to prevent, the inevitable change. 

 Or, the body is burned, and so restored at once to its original ele- 

 ments, in which case Nature's work is hastened, her design antici- 

 pated, that is all. And, after burning, the ashes may be wholly or in 

 part preserved in some receptacle in obedience to the instinct of the 

 survivor, referred to above. All forms of sepulture come more or less 

 under one of these heads. 1 



One of the many social questions waiting to be solved, and which 

 must be solved at no very remote period, is, Which of these various 

 forms of treatment of the dead is the best for survivors ? 



This question may be regarded from two points of view, both pos- 

 sessing importance, not equally perhaps ; but neither can be ignored. 



A. From the point of view of Utility ; as to what is best for the 

 entire community. 



B. From the point of view of Sentiment ; the sentiment of affec- 

 tionate memory for the deceased, which is cherished by the survivor. 



I assume that there is no point of view to be regarded as belonging 

 to the deceased person, and that no one believes that the dead has 

 any interest in the matter. We who live may anxiously hope — as I 

 should hope at least — to do no evil to survivors after death, whatever 



1 " Burial at sea " is a form of exposure, the body being rapidly devoured by marine 

 animals. 



