Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-06-26
Muscular movement without Life.


ly an article of popular belief. Especially
is conscious life inferred when the mo-
ton initiates voluntary movements. A
coffin, for instance, is opened for a last
look at the features Of dead friend before
the remains are removed from tho receiv-
ing vault TO the grave, and the body is
found completely turned over; or the
hands, no longer crossed upon tho breast,
expressing 'Iung dsquiei merged in rest"
are so displaced as to give unmstakable
proof OF continued motion. The thought
that life must have directed such move
meuts adds to the pangs OF bereavement
the keeHest regret and anguish aud too
frequently the mourner has borne away
a self inflicted brand OF Cain. The idea
of returning consciousness aud a second
death within the coffin in consequence
of too hasty burial is TO horrible to con-
template; and the faintcst suspicion that
one has been the cause of such a dreadful
fato to another ls full OF uuutterabe Ditter-
ness.
To those afflicted in this way, aud those
who fear such fate for themselves, it must
he a consolation to know that muscular
movements are by no means valid evil
donce of life. We do find motion in the
dead. Indeed, for one class of muscular
motion seems TO be rather an accidental
than necessary attendant OF death.
The pers istence of motion in deca pitaled
snakes, turtles, and other low forms of life
is familiar TO every one. 1t is commonly
explained by the relatively large nervous
ganglia, independent of the brain, of such
creatures. But ii appears that many II not
all muscles may contract without that slim
ulus OF nervous action, with which alone
we associate the possibility of conscious
life. A striking illustration is given by
DIR. Brown-Sequard in the case of two de-
capiiated men. The arms were cut off:
and for thirteen or fourteen hours, their
muscles contracted in response TO irrita-
tion by galvanism or mechanical stimu-
lants. After that length of time, all signs
of life had disappeared. He then injected
the blood OF a man into one OF the arms and
the blood Of a dog into another. Local life
was restored in both the muscles became
irritable, and the strength or contraction,
extremely powerful. In the arm in which
human blood had been injected, the con-
traction was stronger than during life yet
the nerves remained quite dead.
On another occasion the same observer
kept the eye of an eel, removed from the
body, at a temperature of about 500 10 400
Fab, for period OF sixteen days. BY
that time the eye was in almost complete
putrefaction, yet the iris contracted when
s..l lfr.kN
possible, and muscular fbers themselves
were considerably altered yet they acted.
1t is in connection with the rhythmcal
movements of the heart and other organs,
however, that the most striking proofs of
muscular action Independent of the nerve
centers, are found. The diaphragm, for
example, may be separated completely
from the spinal chord without Interrupt
tion of its rythmic action. Similarly the
heart of dog has continued to beat for for
ty-eight hours after its removal from the
animal, and there is recorded the case of
man at Rouen whose heart was found to
beat for thirty-siX hours after the death of
the body by decaptation. 81 dare say,"
observes DIR. Brown-Sequard, "that the
great cause why we see those organs stop
at death so quickly is that the phenomena
of arrest OF their activity have taken place
at the time OF DEATH" the phenomena of ar
rest, we may add, being quite Independent
Of the cessation of life. Other observers
have demonstrated the rhythmic action of
numerous other organs in man and the
lower animals; motions that persist after,
not death merely, but the entire separa-
ton of the parts from the rest of the body.
Indeed DIR. Brown-Sequard claims to have
found that rhythmical motion is a common
property Of all contractile tissues, but one
which shows itself only under certain con-
ditions, different from the ordinary circum-
stances of life.
Sill more remarkable is the fact that
motions closely mimcking voluntary
movements can go on in the absence of
conscious life.
DIR. Sequard mentions a case in which he
was called To see a man who was thorough
ly dead Of cholera, yet who persisted in
certain complicated movements distress
ingly suggestive OF life. The dead man
would liit up his two arms at full length
above his lace, knit the fingers together as
in the attitude OF prayer, then drop the
arms again and separate them. These
movements were repeated many times,
with decreasing force, until at last they
ceased. To persons not knowing what NAV
take place in the human body after death,
these singular movements, observes the
Doctor, must certainly have looked as if
the will power had been directing them.
In fact the family and friends all thought
the dead man alive, and many tests had to
be applied to convince them that death had
really taken place.
1t is worthy of notice in this connection
that it is generally with the victims of
cholera and other sudden and violent dis
eases that post mortem movements are
most common, and consequently the sus-
picion of premature burial most likely to
arise. That such movements are wholly
independent of life was demonstrated he
yond doubt by DR.. Dowler, of New Or
leans, who adopted the heroic expedient of
cnlting off the limbs of patients, dead be-
yond hope of recovery from cholera and
yellow fever. Notwithstanding their sep
arations from the nervous center, the am
putated limbs continued their seemingly
voluntary movements. Whatever may
have caused them, 1t is evident that these
limitations of life were not due to anything
that could be associated with conscious
ness.-Seientfe american.
The BRIdHT SIDE or RELIGION need
not tell you that great many religious