The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1869-11-17

A..
/ On The. 18th of April, 1868, in the prison
of Viliarricco Prov.ihce ,of Minas Gsrses,J in
Brazil, two men named Ayerio and carinss
were executed at the same time. In Brazil
executions take, place with closed doors, in
the interior Of the prison. DIR. 'Lorenzoy
lCarmo, of Rio Janeiro, we'll known by sa-
wants for his remarkable works on electric
iity, applied to physiology his surgical
skill, and his success in autopiastic opera
Itions, obtained, permission to. profit BY. this
event in order to experiment on the power
of electricity, and co. illustrate itsf analogy
with some Of the phenomena. of life. THE
numerous experiments hitherto attempted 3
have been made on. the head and trunk sep
arately. DR.. Lorenzoy Carmo's design was,
if possible, to unite the head to tlic neck
after decapitation ps,ia 99r1q 'a31 -Eayd ed
The heads of the two criminals fell with
in. few, minutes of each other into the
same basket-frst that Of Carines, then that
of Aveiro. Immediately after this second
execution compression was effected by a
pupil of DR.. Lorenzo on the carotid arteries
of one of the heads SO as. to stop the hem
orrage The body was then places! on a
bed already prepared, and Dr. Lorenzo
stuck the head as exactly as. possible on the
section and kept in thatpositiop. The cells,
of a powerful electric pile was applied to
the base of the neck and on the breast
Under this influence, as in former cxperi-
ments, the respiratory movements were at
once perceptibles The blood which pcnetra
ted in abundance through the surface of the
scar threatened to stop the passage of air,
Dr. Lorenzo had recourse SO thracheotoniy.
Respiration then ensued regularly. The
head was fastened to the body by stitches
and by a special apparatus The physiolo !,
gist wished to ascertain for how long a, time
this appearance of life could thus be artii
cially maintained. sm UT u. % %. diAdEt q
His astonishment was great when he saw
that at the end of two hours not;only did
respirations still continued under the infu-
ence of the electric current, but that circu-
lation had even resumed a ertainrcaulari
ty The pulse beat feebly but sensihly. The
experiment was continued without inter-
mission At the end of sixty-two hours it
was evident to the astonishment of every
one that process of cicatrization had COM
menced on the lips of the section. A little
later signs of life manifested themselves
spontaneously in the head and limbs, till
then deprived of motion. At this moment
the director of the prison, arriving for the
first time in the experiment room. observed
that by singular mistake due to the haste
of the operation, the head of Carines lrad
been taken for that OF Averio, End had APP
piled to the body Of the latter The expert
ment was continued notwithstanding. Three
days later the respiratory movements repro
duced themselves, and electricity was sup
pressed. DR.. Lorenzo Carmo and his assis-
tants were stupefed, frightened at Il result
so unexpected, and at the power OF an agent
which, in their hands, had restored life IL
body whose right to exist the law had for
feited.
The learned surgeon, who had only had
in view simple physiological experiment,
employed all his skill to continue this work.
which science, aided against expectation by
nature, had so singularly commenced He
assisted the process of cicatrizatinn. which
progressed under the most favorable condi.
tions. By means of an osophagian probe
liquid nourishment was introduced INTO the
stomach. At the end of about three months
the cicatrization was complete, and motion
though still difficult, became more and more
extended. At length, at the end of seven
months and half, Aviero Carines WAS able
to rise and walk, feeling only slight stiff
ness in the neck, and feebleness 10 the
limbs.-Annales de Ia Ohirugie Etrangere.