Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-18
TIE DEAD ALITE.
iatce; Scientific Tests for tie Prevention of
Premature Burial

Medical a d surgical Reporter
II most people are AFRAID O. ANYTHING it j,
cf being buried alive. TIA, cases do hap
pen where 1 j. very difficult. even for tIe
experienced physician 10 determine
whether a person i, really or bat apparent
IA dead without hi, having recourse 10
mfoE, which. while they would At oncc
.Dilc The disnuie. would place life,
il il rally still existed, IN jeopardy,
mry ne JUDGED from the fact that
tnr French academy some ten or fifteen
years ag0 offered prize OF 5000 francs
for The discovery oi some means 10y which
even the inexperienced may q, one d.
tcrmi.c whether IN given c1>c death had
cu>ucd or not. > physician OBTAINED tde
rrlZc. lie had discovered that thc follow.
inc wcIl-knoWu phenomenon exists: II
lhc hand oi the suspected person Is hc'd
toward he candle or other artificial llg''.
will tlciiNgcrs stretched, ana one touching
the other, and one look, through ,Lc ,pices
between the fugcr< toward The li-hi. there
orUcar, a ~caTlr-rcd color where the fingers
touch each other. due 10 The still cirru-
la'ing mid blood, g., II how I;~rl through
tie tIan~p rent. not yet c1ncr>tcd. Tissues
but when life Is extinct tAI- phenomenon
AT orcc ceases. The most extensive and
thorough tiial, established the truth Of MS
observation, aad the pie WI, awarded u
IT, di.ccycrcr.
When electricity, or rather t. application
In medicine. came IN vogue il Wa thought
that it would leamtan> oi dcriing whe-
thcr a person WIS dead or not. This Is
sumption was based upon The !act CT electro
muscular contraction. Bat experience
/ soon proved that for one 70 three hoH, A.
ter death had taken place. aud IN som
/ cases where ri-idiiy bat slowly cn>He> ioi
7 a ,;Ill longer period. the muscle, OF dead
individual respond q, well 70 the electric
/ ,limuu, %, those of the living being.
pr. Max BUch now publishes modiira
ton Of The above. and what proml't' ~ bl
reliable and scichttbc proof ~ death. 10
thus far 10 scientific to-' existed.
+ While II tie living the temperature OF
/ the surface over q muscle IN the act q
or Immediately after contraction d'ct
d,dlv Increases. this increase i utterly
wanting in the dead. and even duri1-
/ tie tine (oue hlj f. three hour, il
which ail,.r Grslu the muscle Sill r.
.airS IL, conlIactaliiity. Having placed
/ therefore. q surface thc.m0m ter on The
>Ein, ana haviuL waited until the tampcra
turc hns continued at one ana the ,am'
height for ahOu; five minutes, The mu,ch
iu,l below the bulb Oi the Thermometer j.
made 10 contract by electric irritation
II then the column OF mcicury dpe'
rot RAPIDLY ascend we have The M,
definite and The scientific proof that iiU
/, extinct IN the body; while il Tn
tempuature increase, it j, just @, Ger
/ ,ain that there j. sin life. Under norma
condition, the skin for considerable dis
lance increases By several dcerc', I'D ten
pcrature il III )hc muscle below ], caused
d powerful electrical contraction; and thi
Ih,nomon0u j. also observed in pWalyzc
iMls; while IN the dead nerve, the pro
duciion Of beat, As induced by motion, hl
forever ceased.