GALVANISING A MURDERER’S CORPSE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1066, 5 October 1883, Page 4

GALVANISING A MURDERER’S CORPSE.

Under Hid heading “ Suspended Animation,” the Yorkshire Post publishes a letter signed A. Allison, M.D , in wh ch the writer says:—When apparent death supervenes from strangulation, or noxious gases, a judiciously directed galvanic experiment will* if anything can, restore the activity ;of the vital functions. ' This wonderful agent now takes its place among the ministers of health and' life in cases.of suspended animation. In extreme bases the surgeon will require to expose certain vital nerves, in order that the phrenic cord may be acted upon by the metallic conductors of the battery. If ' we Place the risk of the operation in com petition' with the glory of success, the former will weigh as nothing with the intellectual and humane. During my student life in Glasgow, before the pasaing,pf the Anatomy Act, several executed criminals. - were sent to the university within fifteen minutes from the time of being cut down. On one occasion the body of Oy dead ale, the murderer, was . subjected to a series of galvanic experiments, with a view to test their influence upon the brain or nervous system. Several gentlemen there present conelud ed that, but for the loss of blood in removing the atlas vertebra, life might have been restored, as rdurdock failed to dislocate' the - neck of his. victim. The thfet who suffered along with him was seized with violent convulsions, cauced by fracture. 6f the ueck. From this we lafot ii, tHat' the deep Marwood drop, of from Bft to 14ft, with fracture of the neck, Is a desecration which ought not to be'tolerated. The exclusion of atmospheric air9>m the lungs, as in drowning and simple strangulation, is the proper line of practice in such cases. The nar* cotism produced by undecarbonised blood upon, the blood points to an easier death. than that produced-by fracture ' or the redundant drop. Persons who have been rescued from drowning in a state of Incipient.,, death describe the sensation to. Be painless. At the risk . of, 'becoming, sensational, I must revert, tenths case of Clydesdale in illustration'pi the yalne of galvanism in cases of suspended animation. This murderer, ■■ whits under galvanic excitation, rose up, eyes ab° u t, and struck at the byslahders and nearly overturned one of Dr,.Uifefc assistants. During the galvanic * ordeal fulTlaboriousbreathing commenced, andj.val continuous with the electric discharges. - -Every muscle of the countenance was thrown into fearful action, and . ghastly smiles united . their hideous exin the murdeter’s face—surpassing the wildest expressions of an ■ acton. .’;He seemed, to point to the different spectators, some of whom thought he had-pome, to life, and. one gentleman faihVect The practical deduction in favor u] of galvanism is to utilise the force as a therapeutic agent. Miners who are ex■i . pauti to the < action of noxious gases, and I persobs -wbo frequent, bathing .quarter?, to have easy access to the action of mMahmmMtn asa means of saving life in or other causes of