Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-05-01
Prem allure RuriaIs.


Life and Death are antagonists. Life
is a continued battle with death, and il
is but natural that the contemplation OF
death should be attended with feelings
of revulsion and dread. In the midst
of life, when the sun shines brightly,
when friends smile sweetly, and grasp
the hand cnnfdingly and encouraging
ly, we are 10th to reflect upon the arri-
val of the dread messenger, and in
spite of the teachings of philosophy OF
religion, there is an instructive tremor
in the most complacent. A healthy
physical and mental organization can
regard death with no other feeling than
that of dread. Notwithstanding all
that Philosophy has taught, or all that
the Poet has sung, death is not pleas
ant subject for contemplation at any
time; but when the gaunt spectre pre-
sents himself unbidden and without
warning to human being, already en-
tombed, then, indeed, does death clothe
itself in its most terrible panoply.
There is something amounting to horror
in all its ghastliness at the very thought
of being entombed alive.
Instances occasionally come to the
knowledge of mankind of premature
burial There are many instances, TOO,
in which persons have escaped such a
terrible fate, by returning conscious
uess prior to interment. Few as these
instances are, yet they are frequent
enough to lead to the inference that a
far larger proportion of human beings
are annually subjected to this horrible
fate. and the few instances of escape
from actual burial before death has
taken place, that may have come to
our knowledge, ought to prove ter
rible warning, which the friends of
deceased persons should ever bear In
mind
These thoughts are brought to our
mind on reading an account of a case of
suspended animation that occurred a
few days since at Chicago. A well
known citizen died, as was supposed,
and his surviving friends made every
needed preparation for the funeral. The
funeral services had been performed,
and the body was conveyed to Grace
land Cemetery, and lowered into the
grave prepared for it. The last prayer
had been offered, and the last solemn
service repeated, when, just as the sex
ton seized his spade, and was about to
drop the first shovelful of earth upon
the coffin, stifled groan, followed by a
scratching noise, was heard proceeding
from the still open grave. He was at
once rescued from the unpleasant posi-
ton, wherein few moments more he
would have been consigned to horri-
bic death He who had been mourned
as dead, was conveyed to his home a
living man, and is again in the enjoy
ment of returning health.
What, then, is a sure test of DEATH?
This, of course, would be the first in
quiry. From time to time quite a mum,
Der have fallen under our notice, but
probably no method is so certain and
infallible a test of death as is that of
DIR. Magnus, of Breslau, Germany,
whose experiments have been carefully
and studiOusly made. The test is a
simple one, and as sure as it is simple.
A string is tied snugly and securely
around a finger or toe. If there is life
in the body the member thus tied about
becomes red and grows constantly deep
er and darker colored, till it is tinged a
blue red from the end to the point
where it is lighted. Just where the
string rests upon the flesh there will be
a small white ring. The experiment
of the Doctor has in every instance
proved satisfactory, and at once com
mends itself for its simplicity, and, by
the high authority that accompanies it,
for its eflicacy.-IOled0 C0nlnleTci6l