The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-09-16
VOLUME 5.---NO. 12.
Remarkable Gases Of Suspended Anima.
finn

Remarkable Gases Of Suspended Anima.
ton.
The battle of Edgehill, in which both
the Royalist and Parliamentary party
claimed the victory, took place on the
morning of Sundey, October %, 1912.
Amongst those who fell on the kings side,
and were left on the field as dead, was
Sir Gerva,e Scroop, who had f lien cover.
ed with wounds about three o'clock on
Sunday afternoon. 1t was not till Tues.
day evening that his son, who was also in
the kings forces, was able TO return to
the battlefield to search for the body of
his father. When he found it, it was per-
fectly naked. having been stripped, like
the rest of the slain, on Sunday evening,
by -plunderers. In this state it had
lain all Sunday night, all Monday night,
and was apparently dead, having been re-
markably cold and frosty. Sir Gervase's
son Carried him to lodging near at hand,
and fancied he felt in the body some de.
gree Of heat "That heat" says Fuller,
twas, with rubbing, within few minutes,
improved into motion that motion, with
in a few hours, into sense; that sense,
within certain weeks into perfect re-
ccvery; living more than ten years after,
monment of Gods mercy and his sons
affection. The effect of bis story re.
ceived from his own mouth" The next
day "wednesday, 26th October) another
gentleman, named Bellingham, was found
in like condition among the dead having
received twenty wounds. Being carried
on by his friends, he also was restored,
and lived for ten days, but died bse.
quentIy from one Of his wounds termina-
ting in gangrene. The surgeons were
of opinion" says Clarendon, "that both
these gentlemen owed their lives to the
inhumanity of those who stripped them,
and to the coldness of the nights which
stopped their blood, better than all their
skill and medicaments could have done,
and that if they had been brought of
within any reasonable distance of time
after their wounds, they had undoubtedly
perished.'
In connection with the subject of un.
expe' ted termination, the case of Sir
Hugh Ackland, Of Kellcrton, Devonshire,
may he mentioned as even more extraor-
dinary. This gentleman was seized with
violent fever, and having apparently ex-
pired, had been laid out as dead. The
nurse and two footmen were appointed
to sit up through the night to watch the
corpse Lady Ackland, TO cheer them,
had sent them a bottle of brandy, where.
upon one of the footmen, "being an arch
rogue" said to the other: "Master dearly
loved brandy when he was alive and now,
though he is dead, am determined he
shall have glass with us!" According
ly, he poured out bumper, and forced it
down Sir Hugh's throat A gurgling
noise Immediately ensued, accompanied
with violent motion of the neck and up
per part of the chest. A terrible con.
sternation seized the watchers, who rush.
ed violently down stairs; "the brandy
genius" with such speed that he fell, and
rolled head-overheels, humping down
from step to step till he reached the bot
tom while the nurse screamed with ter
ror. The noise having reused young
gentleman who was sleeping in the house,
Immediately got up and went to the room
where the noise had first begun. There,
to his astonishment, he saw Sir Hugo sit
ting upright on the bed. He summoned
the servants, and ordering them to place
their master in warm bed, sent off for
his medical attendants. In few weeks,
Sir Hugo was restored to perfect health,
and lived many years afterwards. He
often used to relate this strange story of
his own resucitation by his footman's fac
tious conceit, for which he is said to have
bequeathed him handsome annuity.