M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-06-03
The YitaIPolnL


head ofa pin. 1t is a little spot formed
ofthe grey substance ofthe nerves. The
vital spot is situated at the point of
Junction between the cerebral marrow
and spinal marrow. The physiolo-
gist, Lorry, is said to have been the worst
observer of this point, probably be-
cause he was the earliest observer who
has recorded his observations in books.
Sudden death from what has beeG
probably called breaking the neck,
seems, however TO have induced med
ical men from early times to suspect
the existence Of some such point.
Rough men have often inflicted in
stant death upon children by lifting
them up by the head. Gagged birds,
in escaping from their cages, some
times dash their beaks against the
glass of windows, and kill themselves
instantly by breaksng their necks.--
The buffinch of a friend of mine,
escaping from his cage during
the love season, dashed against a pane
of glass, and expired instantly. On
examining the bird, l found it had
ruptured tho vital point. The guar.
dians oflight houses describe how, du.
ring nights Of storms and hurricane,
they are continually dashing them
selves against the strong glass of their
beacons, and then fall mysteriously
down dead.
Lorry says, This place is found in
little animals between the second and
third, and third and fourth vertebre;
and between the first and second YER
terbre Of the neck, and between the sec
ond and third in animals of crater
bulk" Legallios describes the spot ex-
actly: "Respiration does not depend
upon the whole brain, but really upon
very limited spot upon the medulia
oblangata, which is situated at q small
distance from the occipital hole, and
towards the origin ofthe penumogaS-
trio nerves Of each pair"
The bifurcation OF the bulb or me-
dulla oblongata, forming a V. 1t is
a grey corneous point. The grey
pin s.head like spot is the keystone Of
| life. The ancients imagined the Fa.
tai Sistets with the distaf, the spindle
and the scissors, presiding successive
| ly over the thread of life; and the
moderns have revealed junction Q
the nervous fibres which a small GIN
let can scoop out easily, changing there
by, in an instant, life into death.
The study Of the vital point clear
up many dark puzzles.
/ need not point out how it texplain
the cases of sudden death from wha
is called breaking the neck. Th
hangman who understands his bus
ness adjusts the knot so as to dislo
cate the vertebr@, and tear the vita
junction asunder.
When the root of the pneumogas
trio nerves is torn, death is lnstantane
Gus; and this rupture requires marvel
ously little to accomplish it.
The functions of the vital spot
while explaining the suddenness c
many deaths which are constant
deemed mysterious and suspicious, eS
plain the prolongation of life for con
siderable periods, sometimes after tn
most fatal and frightful wounds
What | have said about the vita
point explains what used to be whe
) | was there, and perhaps still is, on
of the standing wonders ofLondon.-
J There used to be several eating hous
! es in the city famous for turtle SOUP
and, of course there are plenty OF ther
still. But at the doors Of the house
) which exhibited the wonder, ther
might be seen lying upon a layer
sawdust, at the bottom OF a basket, til
living head and neck of turtle, tn
flesh of which was said TO be alread
made into soup, and served up to Ia
e gastronomes inside. The head wf
g undoubtedly alive. The eyes wei
@ alive and moving. They SCENE
e dimly, vaguely, and fcebly to as
o from the spectators, if not an explani
n ton of the phenomenon, at least, WI
n and wherefore the head had bee
n served in this way. Persons hare
Y, enough to put their fingers into Il
mouth were assured Of the vivacity
r the severed head by receiving goo
h pinch. for one am guiltless of ha
IS ing ever eaten any ofthe soup; neve
e theless, | am still haunted by tho
,e reproaching eyes, although | an su
d | could exclaim, "Thou canst not 81
,r | did it."
IS The Psychologists long since rever
!, ed the wonder of the London cooks
8. The cooks displayed heads alive al
,e bodies soup, and the savans display
70 heads dead and bodies alive. Re
w cut off the head Of turtle which su
n vived 80 days. Flourens had son
ofI salamanders which lived sever
ot months without their heads. Leg
y. lois says birds have been known
,,,oll, ond run uvith their heads off.