Cremation in Great Britain : the modern cremation movement - Description of British crematories, etc. ... / [Cremation Society of England].

  • Cremation Society of England.
Date:
[1909]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Cremation in Great Britain : the modern cremation movement - Description of British crematories, etc. ... / [Cremation Society of England]. 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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    This system of investigation ought, no doubt, to be extended to every case of death; but under the present law it is only cremation which ensures these advantages. It would also remove all possibility of anyone being buried alive, as no cremation can take place till a medical certificate has been signed by the doctor, in which he states that, “ having attended the deceased before death, and having seen and identified the body after death, I give the following answers,” etc.; and among the questions to be answered is, “ How soon after death did you see the body, and what examination of it did you make? ” THE /ESTHETIC SIDE OF CREMATION. Cremation in no way interferes with the feeling of sanctity which attaches to the remains of the dead. An urn is in any case a more beautiful thing than a coffin, and is capable of great variety in artistic treatment. An urn containing ashes can be buried in a quiet country churchyard just as well as a coffin, or, as the ashes are entirely harmless, we could revert to the original custom of interring our dead in monuments inside the church. Or, again, for those who prefer them, columbaria are provided, as in the old Roman times, for the reception of urns, which can either be seen enclosed behind a metal grille or be hermetically sealed up in the niche. The small space occupied by an urn is also an important con- sideration; and if cremation were adopted in all cases of burial in Westminster Abbey, the question of providing more space for the interment of our national heroes would be solved for a long time to come. Moreover, with cremation, friends are spared the discom- fort and very considerable dangers, especially in inclement weather, of attending a graveside, thus obviating one of the most distressing features of burial. No part of the actual process of cremation is visible to those in the chapel adjoining the Crematorium. SHORT REASONS FOR CREMATION. Cremation effects in a little over an hour that which it takes years to do if the body is buried. The process of cre- mation absolutely prevents all possibility of pollution of water