RESUSCITATING THE DEAD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 270, 15 July 1880, Page 2

RESUSCITATING THE DEAD.

R A. Procter, in the Australasian, give* the following extraordinary account of the effect of electricity in stimulating the nervous and muscular system:— A scientific experiment, differing m some respects from those which Galvam tried on cl-ad bodiss, has been carried out on the bodies of two men, who were hanged in Tenesse, The was rather horrible, but as it seems to. throw light on the probable value ql certain restorative agents after unconscK ousi.ess has been produced by snffocation it may be worth citing. In the present; case,'of course, the mea were^ actuallydead, but the muscels used m breathing as well as those unconsciously actmgnmscels on which circulation depends were excited to action, and this would oe, unquestionably an effective process m the resuscitation of partially ™ S 2 ?* drowned persons. Two men Smith and Hall, were hanged in the usual way, Hall appearing to die after two shrugs of his. shoulder?, but Smith struggling and wriething for several seconds. In about seventeen minutes both were pronounced dead, cut down, placed ™" o & n \*™ hurried as quickiy as possible to a house 300 yards client, where D« Byrne and Murfree, of Murfreesboro, and Dr Sieger, of Nashville, had arranged mstrumenta and appliances as if for purposes of resuscfatior. In the presence of a large n.umber A of physicians, thirty minutes aftei the rone had been cut the experiment was - SS. The clothing of d was quickly torn from their bodies, which were wrapped in hot blankets, so?o£the^e«tawa«.red»c S v respiration was kept up. Electricity wai -then applied to different portions of the . brain and spinal chord, and stimulants „ se d. Muscular movements soon seemed to be apparent, the pulse bea (freely, th« eyes opened and apppeared to be directed to different objects in the room. At this, time the breathing seemed regular and the pulse steady, though weak. There, was a peculiar ex ; ression of the face and.

eyes, a sound wrth each inspiration and expiratioD, and the bodies presented a life-like appearance. Dr Slegar then seated that the desired object hud been attained, which was to show the action of electricity and other modes of stimulation "upon the nervons and muscular systems. The stimulants were then removed, and the bodies ceased to show any signs sembling those which accompany life. The bodies were then given tc doctors (as the murderers had requested) for direction."