, 1873-06-22

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| which threw the hand forward toward the chas
! as far as the pit OF the stomach"
These spontaneous exhibitions Of life in
corpse are trit1es compared with those excited b,
means Of certain stinlulants. particularly OF cleo
tricity. A1dui, in 1902, subjected two criminals
beheaded at Bologna, to tho action of powerfu
battery. Influenced By the current, the fac1a
muscles contracted, producing the effect Of hoIlc
grimace6. AL the limbs were seized with con.
Vulsiye movements !; the bodies seemed to fee
tho atir Of resurrection, and to make efforts te
! rise. Tho springs Of the system retained the
power Of answering the electric stimulus for seT-
oral hours after beheading. few years later,
at Glasgow, IRE made some equally noted e1'
periments on the body OF criminal that had re-
mained more than cn hour hanging on the gal
lows. Ono OF the poles Of battery Of roc pairs
j. having boon connected with tho spinal marrow
below the nApe Of the neck, and the other
brought in contact with the heel. tho leg. be-
fore bent back on itsolf, was thrust violently
assistants, who had hard work keep it in place.
When one Of the poles Was placed on the seventh
rib, aud the other on one of the nerves OF the
neck, the chest rose aud fell, and the abdomen
repeated the like movement as takes place in
respiration. On touching = nerve Of the eve
brow at the same time with the head, the facial
muscles contracted. s'W1ath, terror, despair,
anguish, and frightful grins blended in horrible
expression on the assassin's oouptenanco."
The most remarkable instance OF momentary
16AppSAI8uCU u f1khA flOpo1LlC6. uut ALA tll8
whole organism. but in the head slone, is tie
famoua experiment suggested by Legallois, and
carried out for the first time in 1858 By NJ.
Brown-sequard. This skilfui Psychologist be-
heads dog, taking pains to make the section
below the point at which the vertobral arteries
enter their bony sheath. Ton minutes afterward
he sends the galyAnic current into the different
parta OF the head thus severed from its
body, without producing any result Of
movement. He then fits to the four arteries,
- L.
the neck, little pipes connected by tubes with a
reservoir full Of fresh oxygeuated blood, and
guides the injection OF this bloodinto the vessels
Of the brain. Immediately irregular motions Of
the eyes and the facial muscles occur: succeeded
BY the appearance Of regular harmonious con-
fractions, seeming to be prompted by the will.
The head has regained life. The motions con-
tinue to be performed during a quarter OF an
hour, while the injection Of blood into the core
bral arteries Lasts. On stopping the injection,
the motions cease, and give place to the Bpa8ms
Of agony, and then to death.
Pyhsiologista asked whether such momenta-
y resurrection Of the functions OF life might not
be brought about in the human subject-that is,
whether movement might not be excited and OK
preston reanimated by injecting fresh blood into
9 head just severed from q mans body, as in N.
Brown-Seauard's experiment.. It WAS suggested
to try it on the heads OF decapitatod criminals,
but anatomical observations, particularly those
OF n. Charles Robin, showed that the arteries Of
the neck are cut by the guillotne in such q way
that air penetrates mud fills them. It follows
that it ia impracticab]e to iu1eat them with
blood that can produce the effect noted BY u.
Brown-sequard. Indeed, We know that blood
tact with air, and loses itness for ts functions.
III. Robin snpposes that the experiment in ques-.
ton could be successful only II made upon tho:
head Of man killed by ball that should strike
below the neck; in that case it would bo pos
sble to effect such section Of the arteries that
no entrance Of air would occur, and, II the head
were separated at the place pointed out by IL.
Brown-Sequard, those manifestations OF func-
ton remarked in the dogs head would
Of oxygenated blood n. Bown-sequa1d is
convinced that they might be obtained, il certain
precautions we're observed, even With the head
Of decapitated criminal aud go strong is his
conviction, TINT, when it was proposed to him to
lection Of blood into the head Of person exc
cuted,-he refused to do so not choosing, as he
said, to witness the tortures Of this fragment Of
3 being recalled for an instant to sensibilty and
pies, but it is allowable to doubt whether he
would have inflicted great suffering on the head
Of the subject at most he would only have |
aroused in it degree Of very dim and uncertain |
the slightest perturbation IN the cerebral circu-
lation is enough to prevent thought and scnaa-
ton utterly. Now, If o few drops Of blood too
much OF too little in the brain OF an AMI I
maj IN 1uu uGAltu 6uult9 W Alk6F ku6 |
regularity Of it's psych;es, manifestations,
much more certainly will the completeness Of the
brains action be deranged il it is awakened BY |
an injection Of foreign blood, fcrcible entry
to circulate with suitable pressure and equipoise.
Corpse-like rigidity is ono OF the most charao-
teristic phenomena Of death. This is general I
hardening OF the muscles, so great that they lose
the property OF extension till even the joints |
cannot be bent; this phenomenon begins some |
hours after death. Tho muscles OF The lower
Jaw are tie first to stifYen; then rigidty invades
in succession the abdominal muscles, those Of
the neck and at last the thoracio ones This
hardening takes place through the sulation OF
the muscular fbres, as the qualification Of the
blood results from coagulation OF its fbrine |
Aftor few hours the coagulatcd musculine
grows fluid again, rightly passes away. and the
place also in the blood. The globules change lose
shape, and suffer the beginning Of dissociation.
The agents Of putrefaction, vibrios and bacteria,
thus enter upon their great work by insidiously
breRllng up the least aeen parts.
At last, when partial reyivals arc no longer
put and corpae-like ngidity has ceased, a new
work beginH. The living germs that had col
ected on the surface of tho body and in the di- |
gestiye canal develop, multiply, pierce into all
complete separation Of the tissues and humora
this is putrefaotlon. Tho moment OF it's ap.
oearanca varies with the causes OF death and
he degree Of outward temperature. When death
s the result OF putrid malady, putretaction
begins almost Immediately when the body
1aa grown cold. It is the same when the
atmosphere is warm. In general. In our
climates, the work Of decomposition be-
omes evident after from thirty-eight to
orty hours. Its first effects arc noticeable on
he skin Of the stomach; this takes on green-
sh discoloration, which soon spreads and covers
uccessiyely the whole surface of the body. At
he samo time the moist parts, the eye, the in
ide Of the mouth, soften and decay; then the
adaverous odor is gradually developed, at first
amt and slightly fetid, = mouldy smell, then
ungent and ammoniacal stencil. Little by lii
10 the flesh sinks in and grows watery; the or
ans cease to be distinguishable. Everything is
eized upon by what is termed putridity. II the
issues are examined under the microscope at
his moment, VIC no longer recognize any of the
anatomical elements Of which the organic fabric |
made up in it's normal state. 'fOur flesh" :
ossuet e1claims in his funeral sermon on Han
etta Of England, j" soon changes its nature,
ur body takes another name; even that of =
orpse, used because it still exhibits something
the human figure, does not long remain with ,
It becomes thing without a shape, which in !
'ery language Is without q 4ame." When
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