The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-11-09
A Strange story-A Dead Man Re
stored TO Life-One Mans Head
stuck on Another Mans

A strange story comes to US all the
way from Brazil. It Is to the effect
that two criminals, named Aviero and
Carines, were executed April 18th, 1868,
In the prison Of Vilarics. After their
decapltation DR.. Lorenzo Y. Carmo, OF
Rio Janeiro, we'll known by savants
for his remarkable works on electricity
applied to physiology, his surgical
skin and his success In autoplastIc
operations, obtained permission to pro.
fit by this event in order to experiment
on the power OF electricity, and Illus
trate Its analogy with some of the phe
nomena Of life. Carmo's design was,
II possible, TO unite the head to the
neck after decapltation. The heads OF
the two criminals fell within few
minutes OF each other into the same
basket; first that Of CarInes, then that
Of Avelro. Immediately after this seq
ond execution a compression was Of.
fected by pupil OF DR.. Lorenzo on the
carotid arteries OF one OF the heads 30
as TO stop the hemorrhage. The body
was then placed on q bed already pre-
pared, and Dr.. Lorenzo stuck the head
as exactly rs possible on the section
and kept It In that position. The cells
OF a powerful electric pile were applied
to the base OF the neck and on the
breast. Under this influence, as In for.
mer experiments, the respiratory move
ments were at once perceptible. As the
blood, which penetrated In abundance
through the surface Of the scar, threa.
tened TO stop the passage OF air, DR..
Lorenzo had recourse to tracheotomy.
Respiration then ensued regularly. The
head was fastened to tho body by
stitches and BY special apparatus. The
Psychologist wished to ascertain for
how long time this appearance Of life
could thus be artlhcially maintained.
His establishment was great when he
saw that at the end OF two hours not
only did respiration still continue
under the Influence Of tho electric cur
rent, but that circulation had even
resumed certain regularity. The
pulse beat feehly. but senslbly. The
experiment was continued without in
Permission. Al the end OF sIxty-two
hours It was evident, to the astonish-
ment OF every one, that process Of
polarization had. commenced on the
lips OF the section. A little later signs
Of lie manifested themselves spontR.
neously In the head and limbs, till then
deprived Of motion. .EOEICfFtI
AT this moment the director OF the
prison arriving for the 6rst time In the
experiment room observed that by
singular mistake due 10 the haste sof
the operation the head or GArlnes had
been taken for that Of AvaIro, and
had been applied to the body Of the lat
ter. The experiment was continued
Notwithstanding. Three days later the
respiratory movements reproduced
themselves and the electricity was sup
pressed. DR.. Carmo and his assIstants
were stupeled, frightened at q result 40
unexpected, and ut the power OF an
agent which, In their hands, had res.
tored life to . body whose right 10 ex.
ist the law had forfeited. -
The learned surgeon who had only
had In view simple physiological eS.
poElueutI ehPlO1eu hlA uto BILL 70 con.
tinue this work, which science, aided
against all expectation by nature, had
30 singulRrly commenced. He assisted
the process OF cicatrlzatlon, which pro-
greSsed under the most favorable con.
dltlons. BY means OF an Osophaglan
probe, liquid nourishment was intro.
ducedi Into the stomach. At the end OF
about three months the clcatrIzation
was complete, and motion, though still
dithenlt, became more and more ex-
tended. AT length, at the end OF seven
months and half, AveIro Carlnes was
able to rise and walk, feeling only
slight Stiffness In the neck and feeble.
ness In the limbs.
Our readers are not obliged to believe
this story IL they don't want to.