A common concern many people have had for centuries  is being buried alive.  One method of ensuring someone had died before burial is waiting until the body started decaying.  Washington asked to be buried three days after his death to prevent premature burial.  However, in the early 1800s, most poor people were buried as quickly as possible to prevent spread of the disease.

I found this interesting article in the March 25, 1921 Shelby County Democrat (a newspaper from Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio) that tells of the death of Margaret Johnston Harrop.

Harrop – Grandma Harrop’s is dead!, was the sad words that reached our people Monday afternoon at 6:30.  Grandma Harrop has been indisposed on account of her advanced age but was not considered seriously ill but rather thought to be more better than usual, during the day and afternoon, especially.  Kindred and neighbors carefully took care of the body of Grandma Harrop, awaiting an undertaker. 

What was the Surprise, when about an hour had elapsed to hear a queer sound in the room in which what was thought the lifeless body lie, a hurried visit was made and there it was found Mother Harrop had not departed this life, but was making an effort as if to call her daughter, Met. 

A doctor was hurriedly summoned and all was done that could be to restore life.  The aged one was conscious and appeared to know those about her and realize what they were doing.  Mrs. Harrop lingered on until 4 o’clock, Tuesday morning when the Spirit took it’s flight and this time, naught but the form of the veteran of many years remained…..

My maternal grandmother had just married into the Johnston family, and was present when the above mentioned Grandma Harrop first became conscious.

A common concern many people have had for centuries  is being buried alive.  From the 1800s to the early 1900s it was believed that if a living body was pricked by a pin, the hole would turn red and then close up. A dead person’s pin poke would remain an open hole.   Sometimes, a pin was inserted under a fingernail because, it was thought, no living person could remain unconscious through such a painful procedure.

A medical book published in 1850 provided the following instruction when pronouncing death:

The first test was a mirror test. This involved holding a cold pocket mirror over the opened mouth and nose of the patient. This was held in place for anywhere from 30 seconds to one hour. If there was any breathing, moisture would form on the mirror.

The second test was the feather test. To perform the feather test, a feather was held near the mouth and nose. If there was any breathing, it would make the feather tremble.

Finally, there was the water or mercury test. A glass was filled with either water or mercury and placed on the body’s chest. It was believed that slight motion from the diaphragm could be seen using this method.

However, none of these tests are 100 percent accurate.

To read more about this topic, you can go to the source information for the prevention of premature burial at:

https://listverse.com/2018/03/01/10-methods-used-to-prevent-being-buried-alive/