The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-03-15
From the New York Mercury.
WITHOUT A SOUL.
A Remarkable Experimental French
Physician Recuscitates a Dead Body
The Dead Body VitaliZed Made to
Breathe, Move and Talk. The HOr-
rible Ending.

Mons. lie Docteur Bussay d'Alembert,
noted French surgeon and physician, has
long held that life might be prolonged in
definitely in some classes of patients; such
for instances as those who have suffered no
fatal LESSONS, but who are perishing from
an@mia or the de- generation and n-pro-
duction of proper blood corpuscles. Until
the 9th day of last November, he found DO
one willing to accept as true his seemingly
visionary theory, but having secured
suitable patient for experimental purposes
in the person of NJ Nashan Isaacs, near
relative by the way, of Baron Rotschild,
he Immediately proceeded to demonstrate
the truth of his hitherto unsubstantIated
assertions. NJ. Isaacs was dying of an
anamic disorder, and having heard of DIR.
d'Alembert's theory, he sent for him on the
date above mentioned, having discharged
his family physician and placed himself
under the care of DIR. D. A. Upon his ar
rival, DIR. d 'Alembert found his patient at
the point of death, and the more strongly to
demonstrate the tenability of his belief he
determined TO allow
Mr.. IsAACs TO EXPIRE
before trying his experiment. No stimu-
lants being administered. Mr.. Isaacs quiet
ly breathed his last on the morning of
November 11th, at 4:30 o'clock. Mr.. d'A.,
who slept in the house, having been in
formed of this fact by one of the nurses,
Immediately had the body placed in the
box, Constructed with double walls lined
with charcoal) and entirely covered with
pounded ice, and then had it removed to
his Office, where, in the presence of Drs.
Dupuy, Dein, Etticune and Record, (the
two latter members of the Academy OF
Science) had the body removed from the
box, wiped thoroughly dry and placed on a
table, the top of which was formed of a
plate of glass two inches in thickness The
Paris eUue MedicaIc describes the result Of
the experiment as follows:
Two assistants then began with dry frio
tion to shampoo the entire surface of the
body. This being thoroughly done, the
doctor made an incision, reaching the spine
at the first vertebra, and buried there s
smooth copper plate attached to one wire
of an electric battery. The incision wal
neatly sewed up to hold the plate in place
and the cicatrix covered with collodion OF
other tincture of gun cotton. Another cop
per plate, connecting with same pole ofth,
battery, was
BURIED AT THE BASE OF THE SKULL,
E and still third, of zinc, connected will
the opposite pole of the battery was buried
in a similar manner at the base of tn,
sternum. Everything being in readiness
an almost imperceptible stream of elec
, tricity was turned on, and SO gradually in
7 creased that it was fully an hour befor,
= any twitching Of the muscles could be dis
covered. At intervals of five minutes tn
tongue was moistened with an elixir com
posed of cognac brandy of 180 per cent
proof, which had been rectifed six time
I through filters of sand, charcoal and felt
J, The tongue and fauces were moistenet
: with lime-juice and water to prevent ex
8 coriation to them by the strength of the Ii
: quor. At the end of an hour as abov
stated, slight tremor Of the muscles be
3 came discernible; and at the end Of tn
e second hour very minute globules of per
D spiration could be seen with the magnify
ing glass upon the glands of the throa
] axille and groins. At this point atiicia
h respiration was begun and kept up. To
e ward the close of the third hour. the flesl
had moist feeling, the entire surface o
= the body being covered with light per
e spiration. From this stage we deem
a best to copy verbatim the diary of Dr.
: d'Alembert: