FEAR OF PREMATURE BURIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 28 November 1907, Page 3

FEAR OF PREMATURE BURIAL.

A TEST OF DEATH. Jn order to obviate the risk of premature burial, the late Jlr. Samuel Vallentine. of Brixton, who left £20,000 to charities, decreed in his will that "ticorge liussell Beardmore, JI.K.C.S., of Islington, shall sever my carotid artery or puncture my heart. . . . but if any cause or circumstance shall occur to prevent the carrying out thereof, 1 direct that my body shall be uuiuterred for a period of fifteen days following my presumed death, unless decomposition sliall set in before that time."

Dr. Beardmore, who performed the operation of puncturing Mr, Valentine's heart, explained to a "Daily Mail" representative that it was no uiicomon thing for persons to take a similar precaution against premature burial. In the case mentioned, however, if there was any life left it would immediately leave the body if the heart was pierced. "Another way," continued the doetor, "would be to puncture an artery. If there was life in the body the blood would spurt or run freely, but not if life were extinct. In the event of the person being still alive, the act of piercing the artery would do little harm." At a recent meeting of tile Association for the Prevention of Premature TSurial, it was staled that 141) people were known to have been buried alive, while 21!) had narrowly escaped premature burial.