Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-01-07

7 plastered with mud mp to the paddock
/ which was sealed with the Rajah's private
seal, in his own presence, Mt the date
, when the fakirwas ehtombed. Thus the
exterior Of the building presented nc
, aperture whatever bv which one could
possibly be admitted, any communica-
, ton lalld, or any food conveyed to the
torpid experimentalist The walls and
door, vs tore no marks Of having been
disturbed
Runjt Singh Identified the impression
OF his seal s., the he had affixed and,
as he was personally somewhat skeptical as
to the result of the fakir's experiment,
he had dunng the forty days kept two
eompRnie3 OF his personal escort station
cd near me building, from which four
sentinels were furnished and relieved
every two hours night and day, to protect
the fakir from intrusion. One of his
principle officers was also detailed to visit
the spot regularly. ard report the result
Of his inspection While no himself kept
the seal that closed the hole of the pad
lock. the Minister of State received the
reports Of the officers of the guard morn
ing and e7ening, ana duly communicated
them TO his master.
o. the DIOR being thrown open nothing
was visible except Il dark room. Runjit
Singh and Sir Claude entered, the SER
want Of the buried fakir accompanying
them. Hltght was brought. and they
descended into cell about three feet
below the floor of the square department.
In this cell was wooden box, four feet
in length by three in width, with
square, slopine roof 1t stood upright !;
les door was locked and sealed in the
same manner as the door of the "barra
quirri." This box was the coffin of the
fakir Upon opening the box the body
was exhibited, inclosed in white linen
bag, drawn together at the top and secure
ly fastened with string. The grand sa-
| Lutte now shook the garden air, and the
| lowering multitude came crowding to the
door to witness the spectacle. The ser
the box and placed it against the closed
door of the receptacle, in a squatting
posture. Runjit Singh and Sir Claude
then descended into the cell. which was
30 small that when they tried to sit down
on the ground in front of the box their
hands and knees came in contact with the
person OF Tie seeming corpse.
The servant now commenced to pour
warm water over the body of his master
but, rs it was the purpose Of Sir Claude
to detect any fraudulent practice, he OBJ
jected to this, and proposed to Runjit
Singh to have the bag torn open 80 as to
inspect the person Of the fakir before the
process Of resuscitation WAS initiated.
This was accordingly done, the bag being
SO considerably mildewed as to render it
but the work of moment.
The legs and arms Of the fakir were
shriveled and stiff; but the face was full
as in life, the head reclining on the
shoulder, like that of corpse. Sir
Claude called to the medical gentleman
who was in attendance to descend into
the cell and inspect the body, which he
did, but could discover no pulsation in
the heart, temples or wrist. There
was, however, a heat about the corinial
region of the brain, which no other part
of the person exhibited. This is one of
the facts which establish resemblance
between the imitation-death of the Hin
doc faliirs and catelepsy. In this disease,
flushing of the face has often been no.
ticed, while the trunk and extremities
remained cold In perhaps the majority
of cases, however, the face is pale, and
at least rs cool MS the rest of the body.
The servant now commenced bathing
his master in hot water--the arms and
legs gradually relaxing from the rigid
state i'll which they We're contracted.
Runjit Singh assisted the servant by rub
bing the legs and arms of the dead man,
while the latter put hot wheaton cake
ON the top of the fakirs head-a process
which was twice or thrice repeated before
any result was apparent.
He next removed from the nostrils and
ears of his master the wax and cotton
plugs with which they had been sealed,
then opened the rigid jaws by inserting
the point of his knife between tie teeth
and pryIng them apari. Then, holding
the jaws open with his left hand, he drew
the tongue forward with the forefinger
OF the rlSnt-Ar' usually flexible MEM
Der flying back to its curved position so
that its tip closed the gullet repeatedly
during the process. He now rubbed the
fakir's eye-hds With clarified butter
("ghi'') for some seconds, until he sue
ceeded in opening one of them. The
eyeball was still glazed and motionless.
The next process was to renew the hot
wheaton cake on the top of the head.
At this instant the body hcaved convul-
sively, the nostrils became violently
inflated, respiration was resumed and the
limbs began to assume their natural full
ness. The servant, at this stage, placed
some clarified butter on the tongue of the
fakir and made him swallow it. A few
minutes afterward the cyc-balls began to
dilate slowly, recovered their natural
color by insensible gradations, and
cleaned with intelligence and, recog-
nizing Runjit Singh, who sat facing him,
the fakir commenced to articulate in
scarcely audible tones, inquirieg whether
he was now convinced.
Runjit Singh answered ia the aflirma-
tive, and then began the ceremony of
investing the daring experimentalist with
a pearl necklaces pair of superb gold
bracelets, shawls, and pieces of silk and
muslin, forming fun "khilei," or re-
gala.
The period that elapsed between the
opening of the box and the recovery of
the voice was about half an hour; and i'll
half an hour more the fakir was able to
talk freely, though frebly, with those
about him.
, Sir Claude remarks, i'll concluding his
narrative, that he now took some pains
to investigate the manner in which this
result was effected, and was informed
that the rationale of the process rested
on the view of the Hindoo psychologists
that heat constitutes the self-eIlstent
principle of life, and that, if the functions
even be so far interrupted as to leave this
one in perfect purity, life can be contlu-
ued for long periods without air, food, or
| ntbar rnaanu Of snStaponsn