The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-03-04

IS DEATH A FRAUD?
Some Interesting Incidents CT Being
Buried Alive, ard Same Lofty
Flights Of Imagination.
e 0ucitdcd

anare involves a great stretch Of credulity
pith those who nave given no thought to
The subject, but 1t presents phenomena no
laole marvellous IN their character than
those witnessed by eeoIoeist and others hun
treds Of times. lizards, serpents, toads,
b. have been eXhumed from solid rocks.
where they have been entombed for hun
BREEDS Of years, deprived Of air, food, and wa
t.. These animals when found were, to all
appearance, dead. and yet a few hours ex
Io>ure sun, light, and warmth has full re-
storuned them to normal conditins. We
have many cases OF this charter on record.
We classify man In the list of alternating
animals, las | claim we have a perfect right
T. do them the fact and phenomena at
lending the taklr's lnterment and eXhuma-
zion are no more mysterious than the phe-
pomona OF the entombment and resusciation
of toads and serpents.
The acceptance of my theory Il say theory,
because | believe it to be peculiarly my
own would, | think, give us the key by
Which TO unlock the mysteries that surround
this peculiar condition called trance. Many
OF the phenomena attending these frances
i such as prolonged fasting, ETC., which
have heretofore been regarded as fictitious
would at once take their place where they
probably belong, III the realm of recognized
" 1CijS oAlt'ooSo tiab HI
animals live on the disintergration of their
Issue. But such is not the case, [ have
|tken much pains to inform myself on this
point. The bear energies from It's winter
quarters with no less flesh, but rapidly los
les its fat Immediately afterward, SO much SO
That IN ten days awakening 1T Is reduced to
. mere skeleton. Now, being the fact es-
|hbishcd that alternating animals can and
d. i've -four months In a year without air,
food or water, and this without the loss of
flesh, does 1t require any great stretch Of
|eedulity to believe hat under the same cir
|eumstances this condition might be prolong-
.ed for an indefinite period? [ think not. If
this method OF reasoning be logical, then
this takir, buried alive for ten months, might,
bal the conditions remained undistributed
have prolonged his Information to ten years
and the result would have been the same.
Catalepsy of trance is often selfinduced
more often, however, it is the result of the
widespread and pernicious practice of drug |
gng with morphine, choral, ether, and the
Ike. Under the influence of those deaden-
narcotics the nervous system gradually
|h>es its s~ensibillty, the circulation be-
ZONES weak, the tone of the system is grad
|ualy lowered, the blood becomes so impov-
erished that it is reduced to the tempera-
ture Of the alternating or cold blooded an
imals. To all who are thus undermining
Their physical stamina | would say beware!
] gu know not the horrible fate the future
has in store for you. Every time you pam
Der to your perverted appstites you strike a
bow at the root ofthe tree of life,' every
tlow hastens the inevitable result, which
p death, or the infinitely worse condition SO
Fesult of your folly be the latter, God
kty you-for the probabilities are you will !
e bore to the tomb while yet your spirit
myers Ill Its earthly tabernacle, here TO re-
BAN Isolated and alone until, perhaps, the
fesurrectlou morn. :,
We're this condition of trance one OF I'M
0nsclousness, it would not be so horrible to
9ntsmplate, but the almost universal tes-
nony in all such cases is that the minds
Fuon not only remains perfect, but quick
ned and intensified a hundredfold, | once
~terrogated a man who had awakened from
trance at the moment of sepulture as to
s feelings while he thus lay to all appear
I~e lead. HIS answer was prompt and to
NE point: Have you ever felt the para
yHng Of a horrible nightmare? IF you
ave had such experience, then you are pre-
afed to conceive of the mental agonies | en-
.irsd when | realized that my friends be-
eye NE dead, and were making repair
aQ9s for the burial" Said her: "Once |
en!eved there was no hell; now | not only
tLeve, but possess positive knowledge. The
'urs and days of mental struggle spent in
e VAN endeavor to break loose from the
%t-lIke grasp of this worse than horrible
.shtmare was a hell of torment such as no
sasue can describe or pen portray Be-
wing as | do, from a long and close study
Tue phenomena attending trance, that the
Fps OF a large majority of those who are
@Hy and hourly raising the suicidal arm
ssnst their own highest life by the use of
SSrCotlcs, are leading them slowly but
,"ely to a living tomb, | feel it my duty,
q physician, to raise my voice in solemn
EoItst against this common and growing
EaTtice of dragging with these body and
"3tdestroying agents.
many OF the victims of these fashionable
o SeS TO whom l have spoken of their dan
- dnd who have thus been awakened to
ssalzation Of the situation, have asked
IS there no means known to science
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