The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-03-23
without q Soul.
A REMARKABLE EXPERIMENT.

Mons lie Docteur Busy d'Alembert no.
Tod French surgeon and physician, has long
held that life might be prolonged indefinite.
y in sope classes OF patients such, for in
stance. "a those who have suffered no fatal
LESSONS, or who are perishing from an@mia
or the degeneration and non production Of
JiOper blood corpuscles Until the 9th day
OF last November he found no one willing
70 accept as true his scenic 1gly visionary
theory, bat having secured a suitable patient
fbr experimental purposes in the person of
VI. Nathan Issacs, a near relative, bv the
way, of Baron Roth-child, he Immediately
proceeded to demonstrate the truth Of his
hitherto uusubstaniisl assertions Mr.. Is
aaca was dying of an anmmic disorder, and
having heard of DR.. dAlembert's theory,
he sent for him on the date above mentioned
having discharged his IA mily physician,
and placed himself wholly under the care of
Or. dAlembert. Upon his arrival DR.. a.
Alemhert found his patient at the point of
death and the more strongly to demonstrate
the tsnability of his belief, he determined to
allow Mr.. Isaacs to expire before trying his
experiments. No stmulants being exhibit
ted, Mr.. Isaacs quietly breathed his last on
the morning of November II at half-past
four o'clock. Dr. dAlembert, who slept in
the house, having been informed Of this fact
| by one of the nurses, Immediately had the
body placed in the box CONSTRUCTED with
double walls packed with charcoaD and en-
tirely covered with pounded ice, and then
had it removed 10 his Office, where in the
presence of Drs. Dupuy, Dien, Ettieune
and Record (the two latter members "f me
Academy of Science), had the h'dy remo-
we'd from the box, wiped the. .oughiy dry ana
placed on tosle, che TOP VI which was
fa-..,l of q plate Of glass two inches in
thickness. The Paris Revue Medioas de-
scribes the results of the experiment as fol-
lows: Two assistants then began with dry
friction to shampoo the entire surface of the
body. This being thoroughly done the doc
tor made On ineision reaching to the spine
at the first vertebra, and buried there
smooth copper plate attached to one wire Of
au electric battery. The incision was neat
ly sewed upto hold the plate in place, and
the cicatrix covered with collodion or other
tincture ofgl1 s,tLpa. Another copper
plate connecting with the same pole of the
battery was buried at the base of the skull,
and still third, of zinc, connected with the
opposite pole of the battery, was buried in
similar manner at the base of the sternum.
Every thing being in readiness, an almost
imperceptble stream of electricity was turn.
ed on, and so gradually increased that it was
fully an hour before any twitching of the
muscles could be discovered. At intervals
of five minutes the tongue was moistened
with an elixir composed of cognac brandy
of one hundred and eighty per cent proof,
which had been rectified six times through
filters of sand, charcoal and felt. The tongue
and fauces were moistened with lime juice
and water to prevent excoriation of them by
| the strength of the liquor. At the end of
an hour, as above stated, slight tremor of
| the muscles became dscernible; and at the
end of the second hour very minute globules
Of perspirstion could be seen with the mag
| nfying glass upon the glands of the throat,
axlle and groins. At this point artificial
respiration was begun and kept up. Toward
the close of the third hour the flesh had
moist feeling, the entire surface of the body
being covered with light perspIa,ion
From this stage we deem it best to copy ver-
batim the diary of DR.. d'Alember.
Fourth hour-Breathing being establish
ed, artificial respiration was discontinued.
The time between the exhalation and inha-
lation of the breath, twenty seconds, though
growing more natural.
Fifth hour-Slight pulse; breathing all
right; on forcing open the eyes, pupils
found very much dilated eyes not CLASSY.
Fifth hour-Left in charge of attendants
while physicians were at dinner, no reliable
notice of progress taken.
Seventh hour-Still improving; pulse
regular, though very weak; eyes open and
shut of themselves.
Eighth bour-Stimulati0n with brandy
discontinued; strong egg nog of goats milk
being substituted; steady progression.
Ninth hour-A muttered attempt at
speech.
Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth hours-No
change except that in the last half of the
twelfth hour, Immediately before slight
slumber, the patient called for "wife and
Eta" his child).
| Thirteenth and Fourteenth heurs-Sound
slumber, from which the patient awoke re-
freshed, and began conversation in weak
tone. Perfectly rational.
The battery was kept attached to Mr.. Is
aacs and the stimulants continued, though
at longer intervals and in larger quantities.
The most singular part of this truly strange
story Is the fact that though Mr.. Issacs re-
covered his intellect with the renewal of his
life, yet his moral faculties were entirely
dormant. When his wife and child were
brought to aim he evinced no emotion what
ever, and while he recalled every incident
Of his former life-and all of his acquaint-
ances say that his conversation and ideas
were more brilliant than ever belore-yet il
was impossible to call up any association
that was aught save Indifferent To him.
When informed Of his mothers death
Though he had been the most devoted OF
sons) he merely remarked, "Well, she was
old enough, heaven knows" Though form.
erly very devout In his observance OF relig.
ion, he had become very blasphemous. He
would not tell the truth If possible to lie
and seemed to take most intense delight to
steal and secrete about his person any object
even OF the most trivial value. He made
frequent attempts to rob the doctor of hi.
watch while bending over to administer
1 stimuant., &c. DR., Rcyuaut ST. Pierre,
: the highest Psrisian authority on insanity
and matters relating to The psychology and
= | physiology of the brain, being called In sais