The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-04-21
An AmphlblOus Boy.
A Surgeon Demonstratss that Land Anl-
mails can Live Under Water,

A Surgeon Demonstrates that Land AnI-
mails can Live Under Water.
A writer in the Chicago Times states
that he has seen the infant son of DR..
Louis Shultz remain under water TWEEN
ty.fye minutes without being injured
Shultz claims that any land animal eau
be taught to do the same thing il taken
in hand Immediately after birth. His
theory is that before birth the circula-
ton is carried on through the oval hole
between the right and left artcrial en-
nails. After birth the circulation is
conducted entirely by thelungs through
the pulmonary artery, and the oval hole
of the heart is gradually closed through
disuse. The vital functions Of the am
phibia arc almost identical with those
Of the land animals, including the hui
man species. Their young are born on
land and would become incapable of
remaining under water, were they not
frequently forced by their dams beneath
the surface, and thus the oval OF the
heart is constantly kept open until it
becomes one Of the permanent func-
tons Of the body
Shultz was convinced thatall land an.
finals might acquire tho same faculty,
and tested the matter by immersingfour
newborn pups in water heated TO blood
temperature. He first kept them be-
meath the surface two minutes, then five
minutes, and they seemed to enjoy it
rather than otherwise. When his child
WAS born he stole It from tho mother
while the latter slept, and recklessly
immersed it in water at blood heat for
four minutes, keeping his hand on the
babes breast so that the pulsation Of the
heart could DO felt.
Shultz states that il was twenty sec.
onds after immersion before the blood
found its way along the old channel,
with bounding percussion which at
once startled him and relieved his sus.
pense. Upon lifting the babe from the
water II was ten seconds before the
lungs resumed their duties, and the cir.
culation proceeded in the natural man,
ner. Shultz then dressed the infant
and returned It to its mother so quietly
that she did not imagine anything un'
usual had happened.
The day following the experiment was
repeated FIVE times. 1t was not fol
some time that Shultz informed his
wife Of what he had done, assuring hGl
Of certain fortune II she kept the mat
ter secret. But the shock proStrated
the poor mother for two weeks. During
tho winter Shultz never neglected the
immersion OF his child five times day
from five to twenty-five minutes eaCl
time. The boy is a blonde, and shows
unusual physical strength for child Of
six months. He can already go round
by the chairs. and his voice is uncom.
monty powerful.
He appears to have much better con.
troll Of his movements in the water than
out Of it. A few peppermint lozenges
were tossed in different parts Of q bath
three feet deep, in pursuit Of which the
child eagerly went, and he was fully
three minutes endeavOring to secure
them rs he dropped them almost as fast
as he picked them up. Finally he came
up with tho candy appealingto be taken
out.
Mrs. Shultz is not ut all rcconciled to
the treatment OF her child, but Shultz
thinks he is doing humanity favor by
initiating practical method OF olivia
ting all danger by drowning.