Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-06-10

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with Bosuet to America. Twenty years af-
terward, the two returned to France, in the
persuasion that time had so altered the Ia
dy's appearance, that her friends would be
Unable to recognize her. They were mis-
taken, however, for at the first meeting,
Monsieur Renelle did actually recognize and
make claim to his wife. This claim was
resisted, and judicial tribunal sustained
her in her resistance; deciding that the pc
culiar circumstances, with the long lapse of
years, had extinguished not only equitably
but legally the authority of the husband.
The ssChirugical Journal'' Of Leipsic-a
periodical of high authority and merit,
which some American bookseller would do
we'll to translate and republish-records in
late number, very distressing event of
the character in question.
| An officer of Artillery, a man Of gigan-
tic stature and of robust health, being
thrown from an unmanageable horse, re-
ceived a very severe confusion upon the
head, which rendered him insensible at
once; the skull was slightly fractured, but
no immediate danger apprehended. Ire
panning was accomplished successfully. He
was bled, and many other of the ordinary
means of relief were adopted. Gradually,
| however, he fell into moro and more hope
less state of stupor; and, finally, it was
thought that he died.
The weather was warm, anu he was bu-
ried with indecent haste, in one of the pub
lis cemeteries. His funeral took place on
| Thursday. On the Sunday following, the
grounds of the cemetery, were as usual
much thronged with visitors; and about
noon, an intense excitement was created by
the declaration of peasant that while SIT
ting on the grave of the officer, he had dis
tinctly felt a commotion Of the earth, as if
occasioned by some one struggling beneath.
| At first but little attention was paid to the
mans assertion; but his evident terror, and
the dogged obstnacy with which be persist
ed in his story, had, at length, their natu-
raj effect upon the crowd. Spades were
hurriedly procured, and the grave, which
was shamefully shallow, was in few min
| utes so far thrown open that the head OF
its occupant appeared. He was then SEEM
| ingly dead, but he sat nearly erect within
1 his coffin, the lid of which, in his furious
struggles, he had partially uplifted.
! He was forthwith conveyed to the near
est hospital, and there pronounced to be
still living, although in an asphytic condi-
ton. After some hours he revived, recog-
nized individuals of his acquaintance, and,
| in broken sentences, spoke Of his agonies
in the grave.
| From what he related it was clear that he
must have been conscious of life for more
than an hour, while inhumed, before lapsing
into insensibility. The grave was careless
ly and loosely filed with an exceedingly po-
rous soil, and thus some air was necessari-
! ly admitted. He heard the footsteps Of
those overhead, and endeavored to make
| himself heard in turn. 1t was the tumuit
] 49,. ~ u, Nff fAaa hac
| which appeared to waken him from deep
| sleep-but no sooner was he awake than he
became fully aware of the awful horrors Of
his position.
This patient, it is recorded, was doing
we'll, and seemed to be in fair way of ul-
4 innate recovery, but fell victim to the
/ quackeries of medical experiment. The
! galvanic battery was applied, and he sud-
! denly expired in one of those ecstatic par
/ oxysms, which, occasionally, it superindu-
| ces.
The mention Of the galvanic battery,
nevertheless, recalls to memory we'll
known and very extraordinary case in point.
where its action proved the means of res
toring to animation young attorney oi
/ London, who had been inferred for two
days. This occurred in 1881, and created
at the time very profound sensation
wherever it was made the subject of con-
yersation.
The patient, Mr.. Edward Stapleton, hat
died, apparently, of typhus fever, accom-
panied with some anomalous symptoms
which had excited the curiosity Of his med
ical attendants. Upon his seeming decease
his friends were requested to sanction 4
post mortem examination, but declined tt
permit it. As often happens when such re
fusals are made, the practitioners resolves
to disinter the body and dissect it at leisure
in private. Upon the third night after tn
funeral, the supposed corpse was unearthe'
from grave eight feet Geep, and deposite'
in the operating chamber of one of thu
! private hospitals.
An incision of some extent had been &C
tually made in the abdomen, when the fres
and undecayed appearance Of the subjec
: suggested an application of the battery
, One experiment succeeded another, and tn
customary effects supervened, with nothin
to characterize them in any respect, excep
upon one or two occasions, a more than or
dinary degree of life-lkeness in the con
vulsive action.
! Itgrew late. The day was about to dawn
> and it was thought expedient at length t
proceed at once to the dissection. stu
!, dent, however, was especially desirous
testing theory of his own, and insiste
Q upon applying the battery to one of tn
: pectoral muscles. A rough cash was mad
= and a wire hastily brought into contac
! when the patient, with hurried but quit
y unconvulsiye movement, arose from th
IS table, stepped into the middle of the room
: gazed about him uneasily for a few second.
: and then-spoke! What he said was uniI
U telligible; but words were uttered; the sy
y labi6cation was distinct. Having Spoken
= he fell heavily to the floor.
u For some moments all were paralyze
a with awe-but the urgency of the case soc
! restored them their presence of mind. Vi
/ on exhalation of ether he revived, and WI
e rapidly restored to health and the society
~ his friends, from whom, however, all know
edge of his resuscitation was withheld uni
"a a relapse was no longer to be apprehende
:. Their wonder, their rapturous astonis
u ment, may be conceived.
!, The most thrilling popularity of this i
"a cident, is involved in what Mr.. S. himst
y, asserts. Hc declares that ut no period W
le he altogether insensible-that, duly a
=, confusedly, he was aware Of everythi
'g that happened to him, from the moment
Us which he was pronounced dead by his ph
g. sicians, to that in which he fell swooni
u, to the floor of the hospital. sT am alive
IN were the uncomprehended words which, U
g. on recognizing the locality Of the disse'
u ing room, he had endeavored, in his extre
e- ity to utter.
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