The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-03-05
BRING NC THE DEAD TO LIFE.
A StnrtlinG ENperlm ent in an indianapolis
ColleEe-New Life Infused into the Body
Of Victim Of the HangmRn.

A startlinE Experlm ent in an ImdIanapolI.
/ COlleEe-New Life Infused into the BODY
Of n Victim Of the HnnEmRn.
1t was after eleven when the Prof essors
OF physiology and anatomy, with four
students, came up. The interview lasted
some moments, and our reporter gave
such accurate proofs of a knowledge OF
what was mp that it ended in his being
invited to witness some experiments that
were about to be performed to demon
strate certain mooted questions regard
ing the physiology of the brain and
spinal cord, as we'll rs the power to re-
suscitate persons hanged or drowned
J The dissectipg-rooms-a suit of not very
large rooms-were crowded with narrow
red tables, upon which we're twenty or
thirty human bodies in various stages of
dissection and decomposition.
! All being ready, we surrounded the
tub, as the cover was removed, TO have
view of the body of the man who, at
! IL 20. bad been declaring his innocence
at the jail, and who had fallen through
the hangman's trap. The head and
beard had been shaven; the face was not
! so swollen and black as when exposed to
view at the undertaker's in the after.
noon; the hot bath had softened the dis
tOrted features.
ALI things being ready, the professor
adjusted the head-straps Of the Savers
apparatusd an commenced drawing upon
tue cords, which pass over series of
pulleys at the top of the tripod The
body of the murderer was thus drawn
upward at full length by the head, until
the toes rested in the tub. Instantly
the assistants rubbed the body briskly
with coarse towels for two minutes, and
then wrapped it, from the shoulders
down, with warm blanket.
81 DESIRE" said the professor, "to
reduce the dislocation of the bones of
the neck by this hanging by the head.
This man died simply because the Sec
ond bone of the neck was pulled away
from the first, which is like thin, fiat
ring, supporting the skull. This sec
ond bone has a tooth-like prominence
or pivot, upon which the head turns.
Ii this pivot is pulled out, that is sus-
pending all the vital force which should
keep this man alive, the pivot is press
ing upon the spinal cord, and that
pressure produces paralysis of breath
ing, and the heart becomes crowded
with clotted blood, and all the machin-
cry becomes stopped"
During this time the two professors
were drawing the body in various direc-
| tions, and were manipulating the head
and neck without success. The body
was then removed to table and placed
upon its face, with the arms drawn up
under the forehead, when the professor
of anatomy, with a narrow chisel, made
cash in the neck where it Joins the
head, and with two short, quick blows
from 1nallet split the two upper bones
that were pressing upon the cord, like
cutting ring that has become too tight.
Then the body was turned upon the back.
Taking up the detached nozzle of a large
bellows, the professor of physiology
proceeded, working and talking at the
| same time:
"GentIemen, this subject affords an
opportunity of showing how far vital
actions may be suspended and again re-
stored. All this mans organs are per-
feet, but all his vital energy is lost. To
restore it we must make the heart beat
again; the coagulated blood must be re.
moved from the heart cavities; and the
lungs must be filed with air."
Taking up a sharp knife, the profes-
sor cut down the windpipe from what is
I known as Adams apple to the hollow
over the breast-bone. With a sharp
steel hook he raised the windpipe, split
it open, and inserted the nozzle of the
bellows, making it fast With a silver
wire around the pipe. This done, the
handle of the bellows was put in charge
of an assistant. while the professor took
up long hollow needle or tube, half as
large as. an old fashioned knitting
needle. To this he attached, on head
at one end, rubber tube one-quartel
| of an inch in diameter and three feet
1 long. This was attached at the other
end to glass jar or receiver, and the
| receiver was attached to an air-pump,
which was to be controlled by another
assistant. The professor next placed 6
gallon jar, containing mixture OF de-
1 ibrinated sleeps blood and milk in s
! pail of water, all of which. had beer
heated to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. From
theJar (piaced little above the table
about five feet distant) ran a rubber
tube one-quarter of an inch in diameter
to the end of which was a small silvel
tube, with stop,cock attachment. ThC
wires of the battery were now uncoiled
and very delicate platinum -pointet
needles were fixed. All this apparatus
I being arranged and in the hands of tht
assistant, the professor placed delicate
thermometer before him, aud said:
u "Now, gentlemen, we are ready. lie
every action be performed steadily anC
! quickly as / direct. now open tn,
right jugular vein, and permit wha
blood there is in it to escape. You se
by the flowing it is not coagulated, anC
] as l thrust this thermometer into th,
, vein it indicates that we have the bod,
at ninety-eight and half degrees F.
the natural temperature of the human
+ being in health. will now attach thi
t small silver tube in the vein, which, o
I course, connects it by this siphon tub
~ Al n -. II InR I,rirn ,I IN =, IL 60