'Cremation' : a lecture delivered before the Warrington Literary and Philosophical Society, on March 20th, 1893 / by C.E. Richmond.

  • Richmond, Charles Ernest, -1915.
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: 'Cremation' : a lecture delivered before the Warrington Literary and Philosophical Society, on March 20th, 1893 / by C.E. Richmond. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    discuss the reasons for its adoption. It is impossible for anyone entering on this subject to say much that is new or original or that has not been treated by Sir Henry 1 hompson in his work on modern cremation. By him, and by many other eminent writers, the subject has been thoroughly discussed, and my aim to-night is merely to summarize the work of these pioneers and to endeavour to place it before you in a compact and convincing aspect. It was in Italy that the proposal to adopt cremation as a substitute for burial was first made in recent times. In 1866 papers recommending the practice commenced to appear, and for several years these were followed by many experimenters, until in 1873 Professor Brunetti, of Padua, at the Vienna Exhibition exhibited and detailed the results of his labours. It was here that Sir Henry Thompson first became practically acquainted with the process. The methods of these earlier experimenters differed somewhat from those now used, but it is unnecessary to detail them. In 1874 Sir Henry Thompson commenced to advocate cremation by an article in the Contemporary Revieiv, which aroused great public attention. A speedy outcome of this was the formation of the Cremation Society of England, with Sir Henry as its president. The first committee was drawn from men of eminence in many walks of life, and included two leading clergymen and one lady. The objects of the society were to disseminate information on the subject and to secure the best possible means of performing the process. After many disappointments a site for a crematorium was procured at Woking, and in 1879 the buildings, furnace,