The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-07-25
A S0ULLESS MAN.
THE STRANGE STORY OF A SURGEON.

following story, told in a lettert to the st.
! Louis Globe Democrat. has ever seen
! print. 1t rivals the fantasies of Edgar
| Poe. Under date of New York. June
18th, the writer says: Yesterday your
correspondent called DIR. Clarence Bige-
lows attention to an article, recently
printed in the city newspapers, descrip-
tive of an Australian discovery whereby
cattle can be frozen. laid away for weeks.
and then brought back to life and
genuine activity. The purpose of this
discovery is to ship live meat in ice
boxes, and kill it on the other side of the
ocean after it is thawed out again. In
this way the cost of food and attention
can be dispensed with while at sea. In
cases OF emergency man travelling from
! California can buya first-claSs ticket for
! himself, and ship the rest of the family.
including the mother-in-law. i'm patent
refrigeratOrs. At the terminus of his
. journey he could restore his children to
their youthful vigor, and his wife to her
/ proper station at the washtub or cook
stove.
Your correspondent asked the doctor
! what he thought about it.
''It is nothing, - said he, ''to the great
/ crowning effort of medical science that
L witnessed few nights since"
! Pray, what was that ?'' was asked.
| The doctor reflected for a few mo-
ments, and then he spoke as follows:
When you publish what | am about
/ to tell you it will set the whole country
] ringing. Accompanied by my friends
/ Judge Warren and DR.. Chambers. l
went last week to one of the uptown
/ hospitals, whittier we had been invited
/ by Prof. Doremus and the house physi-
clans. On our arrival we were shown
! at TO 10 4 A.
/ foot of an amphitheatre of seats stood a
! long table, on which rested some i'm
movable object, covered with a white
sheet. Most of the seats We're occupied
| by medical students from Bellevue and
/ Roosevelt hospitals. Myself and party
were assigned to chairs on the platform.
Shortly after O'Clock the white sheet
was removed, and / saw on the table the
nude body of a man. Presently DIR.
White stepped down by the table and said:
'My friends, the body before me is
| that of man who bled to death. He
was employed in planning mill on West
Sixteenth street, near North river He
fell against one of the swift revolving
saws, one of the large arteries in his arm
was severed, and the blood, which is
life, flowed out before assistance could
arrive -
The doctor paused - continued DIR.
BigelOw. ''fOr n few moments. looking
meanwhile, attentively at the body.
Then he continued There is a mere
cessation of life. because the blood was
diverted from its natural channel. l
can discover no injury save the severed
artery. tits absolutely necessary to the
success of the experiment we are about
to witness that the organs of the body
be uninjuTed, for any material injury to
any Organ-I mean vital Organ-wOuld
preclude the possibility of its performing
its functions, since science cannot re-
store the organ. But where the action
of the organ is interrupted 10y some
cause that does not materially iniure the
organ. then | believe that the organ may
be again compelled to perform its duty.
AS the great wheel of mill may be
stopped by shutting off the water, so
may it be made to revOlve again by turn
ing the water on, thus the blood, which
turns the wheels of the body, having
been diverted, the wheels stopped ]
claim that this body may be brought to
life. Whether the soul has departed
and can be brought back, or whether
the mind may be restored, l cannot tell;
but | believe | can again set at work
every material organ of this body. l
have carefully closed up the severed
arteries
"He then called upon Professor Dore-
mus and DR.. Chambers and myself to
assist him. An incisiOn was made in
| the body Just above the heart, and the
vena cava and great coronary vein were
/ burSted open. In these openings were
/ inserted small silver tubes. On the left
/ of the table stood two galvanic batteries.
4 slight cut was made Just above the
/ pleXuS of the four inferior cervical nerves
{ and another above the first dOrSal nerve.
/ The conducting wires of the respective
/ batteries were placed in connection with
/ these cuts. y small pair of bellows were
/ inserted into the mouth of the corpse,
and Dr. Chambers took charge of them.
/ Prof. DOremus was placed in charge of
! the batteries.
/ "At this moment attendants led two
full-grOwn living sheep into the room,
/ and, at a signal from DIR. White, stood
| them near the table. Meanwhile, had,
under instructions, connected two hollow
rubber strings to the silver tubes already
mentioned. The other ends We're soon
! connected with the large arteries of the
! two sheep The two tubes thTObbed as
/ the warm blood of the sheep bounded
/ through them. 1t was breathleSS mo-
ment. and as we leaned forward our in
terest was painful. DR.. Chambers be-
/ gan to work the bellows, and the lungs
/ of the body slowly responded. Three or
/ four minutes of the most anxious sus-
pense ensued, as DR.. White leant over
/ the body, pale with excitement. No
movement could be seen save the slow
rising and falling of the chest of the
mans body. Two minutes more, and
one of the sheep staggered and fell.
'Rising erect and seiZing some instru-
meuts, DIR. White called out
''Now Professor -
sIn an instant the powerful current of
the two batteries was turned on, and
with a sudden jerk the body sat upright.
! Quickly forcing it back, DR.. White, with
the assistance of some of the younger
men, withdrew the tubes from the veins
and closed up the small perforations.
/ The wires were disconnected and the
bellows removed. The respiration still
continued = The pulse beat family !!
The corpse was alive = -
E'With each recurring sentence the doc
tor had frightened his grasp of my arm
He leant toward me, and he fairly hisSed
out the words, The corpse is alive :
After a while he continued with more
moderation:
''The incision above the heart wa:
well closed up, and the body carefully
removed to bed in an adjoining room
But the work was not over. All tha
long night we sat in the room, all of II
from time to time feeling the pulse o
the now living man. and at times al
ministering small quantities of stimu
liant. not only to him but to ourselves
Our patience was well rewarded; ever.
moment the pulse grew stronger and tn
. 4 Z,