Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-10-23
LYNCHBURG SATURDAY MORNING. OCTOBER %. 1855
Hailg Sirainian.
From the French.
Death by Petrification.
4 F'ISer Rirr Miner Turning 10 Quartz The
I5St Mrirm Examination.

raSt Nprtrm Examination.
"Fonr LANGLEY, iron FRASER RIVER,
june ~. 1853.
''Thc circumstances which accompanied the
death "i one oi my comrades are 81 remarkable
TINT hasten to make them known, not only ~
uscu warning 10 others. but as presenting facts
OF tlr highest scientific interest.
Deceased was unr Of my companions. n Prus-
sian 10y birth, called Ernest flutcrspiegnl lie ac-
c'mraoi"d me in my projected expedition from
San frahci~eoto Fraser River mines.
'oo arriving at Fort Langley, from informal
ton given l., the employees of thu Hudson
Bay Company. decided on account Of the swoll-
On condition Of the river 70 depart from tho ord'-
nary route, and h, passing Lake Harrison. and
thence hy lnuort river. gain the gold regions.
''ln passing this long lake. n storm compelled
us to cncnmp on II little stream which desccnds
from the mountains, aud having plenty "f time,
= me at u examined the bed Of tho torrent to sec
if it contained gold.
''our c,mrale Ernest, and another nnmed Will
liam Fielder having as, ended some distance. and
mol finding gold, amused themselves 10y breaking
somr gcolcs, which they found in abundance, Tor
the purpose Of examining the interior.
Gcodc~ ar" round masses OF quartz. containing
cavities hordcrcl with crystal. varying in size
from mn inch Ia two feet in diameter. Az found
in ordinary crystal. they sometimes contain
transparent fluid. known to gcologists as water of
capitalization. Tie quantity oi the liquid is gene
rally So ,iunl us to attract the attention only Of
the cu'i,us.
"lt appears hat Ernest, in striking one Of tho
geedc~. detached n piece which contained half
pint "t water. Our miortuna,c friend with
rlensantry upon the beauty OF the piece Of crystal
drank from il. At first he felt effect, but he
fore reaching camp complained OF violent pans
and hca, ine,s IN the region of the epignstrium
and lett lung.
''IIc came into c&h,p supported by his compan-
ion. aud had already lost his speech. The walk
had hccn very warm, and he had pcrsplrcd freely
hu, the natural heat Of the skin had Disappeared
aud DROPS If cold sweat covered his body.
we placed him upon bed, made applications
Ia hi~ feet anl rubbed him vigorously. W"
tried to mako him drunk some brandy, but did
not succeed. lli-pul.r diminished scnsihly. his
heart beat Violently, and he died in about ID min
utes.
In removing thr body. we observed rigi'lity
which il seldom seen in cases of sudden death OF
healthy men. But III the present in'tauco the
rightly which commenced Immediately. inrrras-
cl minute hv minute. and in two hours and half
the body Rigid and inllcxle n n piece
Of wood Meantime the muscles would Yield be-
Meath n pressure If the fingers. Yet felt n
kind "i cracking crcpilation. rs if the small
capillary veins were III process OF congeaaiion or
os~,cnti"n.
Il determined 10 make n }osinortem exnmina
tion, aud for this purpose remained next day
In making an incislon at the point
rorrcep ,ndur 10 the xyphoide cartilage. ns far
the navel. and penetrating the dcrne and abdom
nnl muscles the knife made n cracking noise. and
| found that the small blood veins had hardened
and ossiicl In the stomach, abdomen. and duo
aenum many hard masses Of the size t" II
hazicnut, nn1 evidently composed Of spenetic SAL
stances harder than quartz This s"lidifcati,n OF
the entire contents u the stomach. of the ailments
and lilc-n word their rrifubic j,ifiJtcfion,
!, H.
Of the s' mach appeared 10 be- in natural state
The heart preserved it, natural color; hu, it
WA hard ia. nnd strongly rcsemble,l, piece Of
rod ia.lrr. = The ycnticle and right
tainrl IA he centre solid mass of deep purple
col +. which was e, ldrnrly peirIiacion of ,en"us
blood while the left ra,ilie, ri,cilcl in color the
ripest carunclrs.
"The principal h,oul-,c.sels were as tough as
pipe" stems, aud in some cases the pclriied blood
would, il beng extracted in pieces. affect the form
Of the valves which contained them.
AN opening the chest the lungs did not seem to
hc affected tbc,r natural euntrnctibili,. owing
To III" elasticity Of tie librhus tissues which com
pose ii. were found to maintain the r,,dty of the
capinrir-. firm and cxpnudrl.
''rhe brain presented nothing extraordinary,
except the lctriiaciiun 81 the blood vessels.
The contents If the lower iu:cstncs were not
s"li lifei the TISSUES wcr" rcmnl kably exempt
fra the spots i blood which in ordinary cases
settle IN the walls of the blood yes els after death
TIE unfortunate Ernest having been buried, the
writer afterwards nn;,I yzrl sfccmrns taken from
the blood. The pe'rlii"l blood contained siex in
small quantities. lie concludes that tho geodc
contained an mGicnsc quantity ct silcS. and SAYS:
Il believe ii is possible that slick, under the Ia.
tent hcIyUl, electric force Of the human system
can form nrH combinations IN the same manner
H. oxygen. according to the researches of Fnrn-
day and S'honbein.l under the power of c!cctric-
". assume. n new nature, aul lecoincS capable Of
entering into other combinations, to which, IN its
ordinary state IT IL II stranger.
"FRirDRIcn LicmrESnERGRR, VI. H.. Ph. D."