postmortem photos on Flickr

On Saturday week a Chinaman named Li Char, a middle-aged man, came to Dr. King, accompanied by some other Chinamen. It appears that he had been ailing for a fortnight previous to that date, and had got increasingly unwell, and complained of pains in the back of his neck, and moved about in a decrepit manner. On Tuesday Dr. King visited Li Char, who resided in Wakefield-street, and recommended that he be removed to the District Hospital, but the other Chinamen, the man's friends, were averse to this. Dr. King again saw him on Thursday night, when the patient was very ill, but the Chinese were still averse to his removal to the hospital. On Friday Dr. King had to go to the Wade, so that he did not see him again before his death, which occurred on Friday night. The police, in the absence of Dr. King, and of any knowledge that the case had been diagnosed with certainty, made inquiries with a view to see if it were necessary to hold an inquest. Subsequently the coroner, it is stated, desired Dr. Bedford, chairman of the hospital staff, to make a post-mortem on the body, but that gentleman declined. Utimately the mortem was made on Saturday by Dr. Girdle, in the presence of Drs. Mason and Baldwin (Sanitary Commissoners). Dr. Sharman (health officer of the port of Auckland), Dr. Bedford, and Dr. King (city health officer). The result of the postmortem showed that the deceased had died from an abscess on the brain. As a consequence there was no inquest. Dr. King from the history of the case and the symptoms, was prepared, it is said, to give a certificate of the cause of death. The funeral of Li Char took place yesterday, the interment being at Waikumete. The Chinese had a hearse, and there were seven carriages containing friends and acquaintances of deceased. It was conducted in Chinese fashion. Deceased had been a gardener, but latterly had resided in Wakefield-street.

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19000709.2.25

Plot 93: Li Char (48 or 49) 6/7/1900 *"removed to China"

unmarked grave

CHINESE RESURRECTIONISTS AT WAIKUMETE.

DISINTERMENT OF CORPSES.

A GRUESOME SPECTACLE.

Time, 5.30 a.m., on a bitterly cold morning, in Waikumete Cemetery. Half-frozen, a pressman and a photographer attached to the staff of the "Graphic" make their way from the sexton's house to the furthermost corner of the cemetery, where is situated the section for Chinese and Atheists and aliens unprovided for elsewhere. A noise of hammering comes from the section, which is a good half-mile from the Anglican and Presbyterian allotments, and on arrival work found to be in full operation. The reception of our reporter and his photographic confrere is the reverse of friendly, and an immediate wrangle ensues amongst the gravediggers, evidently on the subject of the camera fiend's presence. A Chinese halfcaste European insists on their instant ejectment. The sexton, however, who has been handed proper credentials, proves a firm friend, and insists that he, and not any Chinaman, or half-caste Chinaman, is in change of the cemetery, and that he has his instructions. Things then calm down a trifle, but the work is resumed amidst much grumbling, and many vindictive and malignant glances are cast at the camera, and muttered curses uttered at the photographer as he dodges round looking for a chance shot. Once, indeed, when the shutter clicks, a furious celestial raises his pick in menace, and mutters a threat to do for the intruders, but he thinks better of it, and at the intervention of the European coffinmaker a truce is declared until arrival of "the boss." That individual presently arrives. He scans the permit; gloomily enough, and bids that the photos be taken forthwith, and the photographer and pressman depart. It toeing pointed out that there is no picture yet to take, and seeing that bluff has no effect, all active opposition as at once and finally dropped, and no difficulty put in the way of obtaining pictures or witnessing the proceedings save in giving mendacious information, lighting fires to obscure the graves with smoke, and endeavouring to tire out the patience of the reporters, etc.

By ten o'clock four graves, are opened, but owing to the non-arrival of some solder and zinc from Auckland it, is decided to open only two coffins on this occasion. The first of these contained the corpse of one Kong Shang, who died in 1891, a young Celestial of 36. It was thought that there would be nothing but dry bones there, but the stiff white clay is evidently a preservative, for when the coffin, which is full of water, is opened, it is seen that the bones have a decided covering of what had once been flesh and though drenched in carbolic acid a sickening odour makes itself felt at intervals. Directly an attempt is made to stir the body it all falls to pieces, the decomposed flesh falling off in almost imperceptible flakes, which had doubtless been dust had the grave been dry. Very carefully the impassive Chinaman in the grave rinses and unconcernedly places on a sieve a thigh bone, then some ribs, and a skull, followed by the rest of the bones, minute search, indescribable in print, being made for the smaller bones and joints. It is an intensely gruesome spectacle, and the horror is added to by the indifference to sight and smell or sentiment evinced by the Celestial workmen. The venerable clerk, a fine old fellow, with the face of an ascetic and a student, carefully tallies the bones which, having been rescoured in a large white tub, are finally dried and wrapped up, each duly docketed by the methodical old gentleman, who is evidently a most conscientious and probably deeply religious man. He, too, is fastidiously clean, and does not, one notes, eat as the others do in the midst of their noisome labours. The next body is that of a man who must have been of exceptional stature and weight for a Chinaman, and who has been dead but two years and a-half. There is much difficulty in getting this coffin to the surface, and the opening thereof, and the awful stench which completely dominated all disinfectants when the body was removed to the zinc one prepared by the European tinsmith beggars description, and may be left to the imagination. None of those whose duty called them to be present are likely to forget the experience, or to desire a renewal of the same. The soldering having been completed, it must be admitted no effluvia was discernable. The zinc coffin was then put in a rude case and packed in sawdust ready for shipment. There is no reason to think the zinc coffins will not prove effective and inoffensive under ordinary ciroumstances, and careful usage, but a fall or any accident in loading would, one imagines, have very disastrous effects. The work ceased at noon to-day. Mr Winstanley, Government Sanitary Inspector, is present, and looks after his work in so thorough a manner that no fears need be entertained by settlers or the general public. The pictures secured by the "Graphic" protographer are of a unique nature and the most gruesome details having been omitted, are quite without offence. They will be published on Wednesday.

The custom of the Chinese at home is to disinter bodies after seven years, and place the main bones in a large jar alongside the grave. It is in order to forward the bones to China for relatives to do this that the present exporting of remains is undertaken.

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19020929.2.45

THE CHINESE CORPSES

The disinterment of the bodies of the Chinese from cemeteries throughout the colony during last, and the early part of the present month excited a good deal of interest. In Greymouth nearly 200 bodies were "resurrected" and stored in a shed in the cemetery, much to the disgust of the residents, who unsuccessfully protested against the bodies being allowed to remain above ground until the arrival of the Ventnor. The expenses of the removal of the dead Chinese to their native land, where alone their spirits could find perfect peace, was borne by their friends, the undertaking being so costly that, only the wealthier relatives could afford the expenditure, many hundreds of unhappy Celestials being obliged "to lie in cold corruption and to rot" in the cemeteries of the "foreign devil."

The exhumation of all the bodies was carried out by the one party of "resurrectionists," Chinese with a half-caste leader and a European plumber. The Chinamen carried out their gruesome work with the utmost indifference, knocking off to eat their meals immediately after handling the bodies without a thought of nauseation.

Some bodies had been interred about twenty years ago, others within the last year. In the case of those which had been reduced to skeletons the bones were carefully sorted, and packed in boxes ready for shipment. In other cases the flesh had reached an advanced stage of putrefaction, and in these the bones were stripped and similarly, treated to the skeletons of older bodies. When the bodies were still whole they were packed in air-tight coffins, soldered down, and labelled with the name of the departed.

In all eleven corpses were taken from their graves at Waikumete. These were not shipped on the Ventnor at Auckland, but were taken down the coast in smaller vessels to Wellington, and there transhipped to the Ventnor.

The Chinese in Auckland were excited on the receipt of the news of the foundering, but when questioned as to what, according to Confucianism, would become of the spirits of the sunken Celestials, they professed ignorance.

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19021029.2.54.5

LOSS OF THE VENTNOR.

FOUNDERED NEAR HOKIANGA.

BOAT AND CREW MISSING.

HOKIANGA, October 29.

The steamer Ventnor, which left Wellington for Hongkong on Sunday, foundered off the Hokianga Bar last night at about a quarter to nine.

The Ventnor left Wellington, as stated, on Sunday, with 500 Chinese bodies and 6400 tons of coal. She was owned by Gow, Harrison and Co., of Glasgow, her port of register, and was captained by H. G. Ferry. Before she had been long out, at forty minutes after midnight on Sunday, a shock which shook the vessel from stem to stern made manifest to everyone aboard that the steamer had struck a rock, a subsequent investigation showing that the reef hit was to the southward of Cape Egmont.

The engines were at once reversed, and in a short time the vessel managed to get off. The wells were then sounded, and it was found that the vessel was making water in No. 1 hold.

The vessel was headed off shore to a safe distance, and then proceeded up the coast.

Meanwhile, the steam pumps were got to work, but from the first it was found that they were unequal to the task of coping with the inflow, and gradually the water gained, rising higher and higher in the hold.

On Tuesday morning it was found that the ballast tanks in the peak were full, putting the steamer down by the head, and making it evident that she had but a short time to float.

In the evening her bow was so far under water that she became unmanageable, and it was seen that she was gradually sinking, despite every effort that could be made.

At about 9 p.m. it became evident that the vessel was going down fast, and all hands were ordered to the boats.

These were launched by their respective crews, who immediately pulled away from the sides of the doomed vessel.

Hardly had they reached a safe distance when the vessel's stern rose in the air, and she sank, bow first.

The Hokianga Heads light was seen at a distance of about ten miles, and the boats pulled in the direction of the light.

At daylight this morning two boats arrived on the Omapere Beach, bearing fourteen of the crew, including the chief mate, John Cameron, the second and third engineers, D. Bailee and K. Muir, and two cooks, and a messman.

Mr Martin, harbourmaster, has taken the small steamer Energy out off Whangape to pick up two more boats which were sighted from the pilot station. One of these was picked up at 10 o'clock, but the other had not been reached at the time of wiring, 10.30 a.m.

Besides her crew of 31 persons, including five Chinese, the Ventnor had six Chinamen as passengers. Of the coffins 489 were insured in the Alliance Company for £5490. The fungus was insured for about £320 in various offices. She was under the charge of Captain H. Ferry, who has been seventeen years in the employment of the same company. The steamer was under charter to W. Scott Fell and Co., of Sydney, contractors. Messrs John Mill and Co., of Dunedin and Wellington, were the colonial agents.

Of the coffins 489 were shipped by the Chong Shin Tong Society, which is a branch of the big society in China called the Tai Chuen. The other ten coffins were shipped by Yei Chong, of Manners-street, and did not belong to any society.

The Ventnor's crew numbered thirty-one, and those on board included nine Chinese body attendants. These attendants of the dead are old and decrepit Chinamen, who are being sent home to China by the Chong Shin Tong, and given sufficient money to keep them from work for the remainder of their lives.

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19021030.2.87

SS Ventnor with details of final voyage:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Ventnor

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1

As Louise Parradine in "Postmortem"

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This image is taken from Page 175 of Ãtudes physiologiques et mÃ©dicales sur quelques lois de l'organisme : avec applications Ã la mÃ©decine lÃ©gale by Medical Heritage Library, Inc.

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Title: Ãtudes physiologiques et mÃ©dicales sur quelques lois de l'organisme : avec applications Ã la mÃ©decine lÃ©gale

Creator: Larcher, Joseph FranÃ§ois, 1802-1884

Creator: Royal College of Surgeons of England

Publisher: Paris : P. Asselin

Sponsor: Jisc and Wellcome Library

Contributor: Royal College of Surgeons of England

Date: 1868

Language: fre

Description: Contents: Du pigmentum de la peau dans les races humaines et en particulier dans la race nègre - De l'hypertrophie normale et temporaire du coeur liée à la gestation - Contribution à l'histoire de la rhinocéphalie et des os intermaxillaires dans l'espèce humaine - De l'imbibition cadavérique du globe de l'oeil et de la rigidité musculaire, étudiées comme signes de la mort réelle - Contributions à l'histoire de l'atrophie sénile du système osseux - Étude sur la physiologie et l'ostéogénie de l'appareil sternal dans l'espèce humaine - Appendice

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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Note: The colors, contrast and appearance of these illustrations are unlikely to be true to life. They are derived from scanned images that have been enhanced for machine interpretation and have been altered from their originals.

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