Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 2, 1802).djvu/45

27&#93; COF But, in Britain, the poon - I fx »] ! ' arc thus ns of ceased cannot afford n coffin* It is furnished at the expence of j!u' pai sh According to Tiuvi:- ho • ' rtr, i!i- E istern na- tions, v. bether 'lurks or Christians, make use of no coffins. As there appears to prevail a most iniquitous practice, of which ■ mind can approve, that of robbing graves of corpses, for the purpose of anatomical dissec- tion, vc shall present our nailers with a short description of the pa- tent granted in July, 17y,6, to .Mr. . . i k i. Aug hti b, oi Cheapside, London, for his improvement in coffins, to prevent die stealing of bodies from them, after interment: this patei.i has since been assigned to Messrs. Jakvis and Son, un- dertakers, &c. Gharing-cross, and Great Marv-lc-bone-street. The coffin may he made of any kind of wood, and bound with steel, iron, or other metal. The sides are to be curved w ithout saw- curfs ; and on the top edge of each side are to be three or more boxes, of iron, steel, or other metal, let in on die inside of the coffin, to re- ceive ti.e springs fixed to the lid ; one box to contain a spring on the top edge of the head, and another on the foot, for the same purpose. The screws for fastening down the lid, pass through an iron or metal plate, with a socket, to receive the head, and to pfeV ent its being drawn out by any kind of instrument. These screws are to be placed be- tween each of the springs, in pro- portion to the number of the latter, and the size of the coffin. The lid is also to be bound with steel, iron, or any other kind of metal, to prevent it from being cut or COF [27 broke open j and the screws used for fastening it, are to be sunk about half the thickness of the lid. Such screws are not to be notched on the bead, but some of them di- vided with tWO, and others with tour bevils ; bo that when they are once fixed, it will be impossible to rew them ; as, by turning the reverse way, theft is no hold fur any tool to withdraw them. Many of our readers will, pro- bably, remember that the late. Emperor of Germany, Joseph II. about the. year 1/81, enacted a !;;. by which the interment of dead bodies in coffins was prohibited; nay, it was ordered that they should be buried in bags, and co- vered with quick-lime, in order to promote their putrefaction, and prevent the exhalation of noxious vapours. This severe regulation, however, met with so universal and decided an opposition, that the enlightened monarch, from pru- dential motives, was speedily in- duced to repeal it. Although we are no advocates for arbitrary measures, by which the feelings of humanity may be wounded, yet on the other hand, we are firmly persuaded that the custom of interring numerous bodies, in the churches and church- yards of populous towns, is at- tended with effecf s highly injurious to the living. (See vol. i. p. 392.) And as persuasion and reasoning, when opposed to inveterate preju- dices, are not likely to produce a favourable effe6t on intellects but little improved by education, we venture to suggest a remedy, than which none can be more reason- able, and less oppressive : 1. That, though, all, deceased bodies are to be considered as invislable, yet the privilege of being deposited in a coffin