The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-06-14
A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY
RIP VAN wINKLE SLEEPS TO BE TAKEN AT
PLEASURE.
From the Louisville Courier.

PLEASURE.
From the Louisville Courier
Perhaps any of us may soon be able to
take Rip Van Wrinkle nap whenever we
may choose. The Brisbane New South
Wales Courier has long account of new
method ofsuspending animation, discovered
by one Signor Rotura, whose researches
into the botany and natural history Of
South America have made his name emin-
ent" Some five months ago Signor Rotura
called upon Mr.. James Grant, pupil of
the late Melodies, "of pre-eminence in his
knowledge of the science Of generating
cold,' and the owner Of freezing chamber
at Woolhara. "Signor Rotura averred"
says the Courier's correspondent, shat he
had discovered South American
vegetable poison allied to the well-known
woolara, that had the power of perfectly
suspending animation. and that the trance
thus produced continuedtill the appearance
OF another vegetable essence caused the
blood to resume its circulation and the
heart its functions. So perfect, moreover,
was this suspension of life that Signor Ro-
tura had found in warm climate decom-
position set in at the eXtremities after q
week Of this living DEATH and he imagin.
ed if the body in this inert state was re.
duced to temperature sufficiently low to
arrest decomposition, the frances might be
kept up for months, possibly for years.
Rotura and Grant have erected extern
sive works, in which they are experiment.
ing in secret, with view soon to revo-
lutionize the meat trade of Australia by
shipping sheep to England while in this
trance and reviving them for slaughter
when landed. The correspondent visited
this establishment and was shown the freez-
ing chamber, "a small, dark room, about
eight feet by ten feet. Here were fourteen
sheep, four lambs and three pigs, stacked
on their sides in heap, alive which Mr..
Grant told me had been in their present
position for nineteen days, and were to re-
main there for another three months.
Selecting one Of the lambs, Signor Rotura
put it on his shoulder and carried it outside
into the other building, where a number
of shallow cemented tanks were in the
floor, having hot and cold water taps to
each tank, with a thermometer hanging
alongside. One of these tanks
was quickly filed and its tenn
perature tested by the Signor, meantime
examining with the greatest curiosity and
wonder the nineteen days dead lamb. 1t
was gently dropped into the warm bath and
was allowed to remain in it about twenty
three minutes, its head being raised above
the water twice for the Introduction of the
thermometer into its mouth, and then it
was taken out and placed on its side on the
floor, Signor Rotura quickly dividing the
wool on its neck and inserting sharp point
of small silver syringe under the skin
and injecting the antidotc. This
was pale green liquid, and, as l believe
a decoction from the root of the
astrachartis, found in South America. The
lamb was then turned on its back, Signor
Rotura standing across it, gently compress.
ing the ribs with his kness and his hands,
in such manner as to initiate their natural
depression and expansion during breathing.
In ten minutes the animal was struggling
to free itself, and, when released skipped
out through the door, and went gamboling
and beating over the garden in 'front.'"
The Signors experiment lead him to be-
lieve that it is ministerial whether the sus.
pension lasts weeks or years. He is nego-
tiating for felon under capital sentence,
| upon whom he wishes to operate.