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46
of the deceased. It is, however, open to a testator to make a gift to his
executor dependent upon his body being cremated. In such cases he should
acquaint his executor of his wishes.
Many people take exception to what they term "red tape" with regard
to the due filling up of forms necessary before cremation can take place.
This so-called "red tape" is in my view an additional point in favour of
cremation, as with the law as it at present stands it is only when a cremation
is to be carried out that there is any really satisfactory inquiries into the
cause of death. The ordinary death certificate is a very imperfect document,
whereas the formalities necessary before cremation are so comprehensive that
foul play could not easily escape detection.
The reasons for cremation upon public health grounds must be obvious.
Years ago when the population was small and confined principally to villages
and small towns, the objection to burial of the dead in the midst of the living
may not have been of much consequence, but during the past century the
population has so increased, that burial grounds that were once situated in
the country, are now surrounded by house property, and the continuance of
earth burial must thereupon offer an ever increasing menace to the
community.
Take the case of London alone where about 72,000 persons die annually.
Cemeteries are continually being established upon its outskirts, but the
growth of the metropolis is so rapid, that before one of these have been halffilled
it invariably becomes the centre of a thickly populated suburb. It
seems incredible that people will continue to see the ground surrounding
the City in which they live with a ring of decomposing and highly
objectionable matter.
For this evil there is only one possible remedy—cremation, which will
reduce the human body in the space of about one hour to a few pounds of
harmless white ash, which, as I have said, can then be dealt with in the same
ceremonious manner as the ordinary corpse without its attendant objections.
The figures for the thirteen crematoria in the United Kingdom are shown
in the accompanying table, and the date of opening indicated in the first
column.