Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-04-05
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MOST EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY.

! A lie IS worse than criminal if il is a
| poor weak invention. When il proves A
ready wit, there is a redeeming feature in it..
| Scotchman defined a lie to be " the mees-
representation of fact wi intent TO de-
celve." The definition will hardly apply
to the following narrative of an extraor-
dinary discovery -
Professor Won Grosselback, of Stock
holm, has very lately brought to a state of
perfection the art Of producing torpor in
the whole system by the application of
cold of different degrees of intensity, pro-
ceeding from a lesser or a greater, so as to
cause the human body to become perfectly
torpid without premature injury to any
organ or tissue of the frame. In this state
they remain one hundred or a thousand
years, and again, after sleep of ages. be
awakened to existence as fresh and bloom
ing as they were when they first sunk INTO
this trgonc slumber. The attention of the
learned Professor was first led to the sub
Ject by finding a toad enclosed in a solid
fragment of calcareous rock, ten feet in
diameter. which, when taken out. showed
unequivocal signs of life butitis supposed
that the conclusion caused by blasting the
rock occasioned its death in few hours
after. The opinion of Baron Gruilhizen.
who Is at present geologist to the King of
Sweden, was, that it must have been in
that situation for at least seven thousand
years-and his calculations were drawn
from the different layers of strata by which
II was surrounded. From this hint the
Professor proceeded to make experiments.
and after painful and laborious course for
the last twenty years of his life, he at last
succeeded in perfecting the great discovery.
Not less than sixty thousand reptiles, she'll
fish, &c, were experimental on before he
tried human subject. The process is not
laid entirely before the public as yet. but |
had the honor, in company with friend,
OF visiting the Professor. | shall give
slight description of one of the outer rooms
containing some of his preparations. Pre-
vlous to entering we were furnished with
an India rubber bag TO which was attached
a mask with glass eyes. This was put on
TO prevent the temperature of the room from
beng raised in the slightest degree by our
breathing. 1t was circular room, lighted
from the top by the suns rays, from which
the heat was entirely disengagcd by its pas
sage through glass, &c, colored bv oxide
of copper, "a late discovery, and very val
liable to the Professor.) The room is
shelves all round, and contains nearly one
thousand specimens of animals. One was
Swedish girl, from appearance about 10
years OF age. She was consigned to the
Professor by order of the government, to
experiment upon, having been guilty of
numbering Her child. With the exception
of slight paleness, she appears as if
asleep, although she has been in state of
complete torpor two years. He intends to
resuscitate her in five years, and convince
the world Of the soundness Of his wonder
tul discovery. The Professor, to crafty
us, took small snake out of his cabinet
into another room, and although he ap-
peared perfectly dead, and rigid as marble,
by application of mixture of Cayenne