Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-12-19
Proof of Death.


it Is of being buried alive. That casc-
do happen where II is very difficult even
for the experienced physician to de-
termine whether a person Is really or
but apparently dead without his having
recourse 10 means while they would Mt
once settle the dispute. would llace
life il it really still existed In jeopardy.
may be judged from the fact that the
French Academy some ten or fifteen
years ago offered prize of 10000
francs for the discovery of some means
by which even the inexperienced may
at once determine whether in n given
case death had ensucd or not. A ply
s!cian obtained the prikc. lie had dis.
covered the following wcll-known phc
nomenon II the hand OF tho suspect
ed person is held toward the candle or
other artificial light. with the fingers
stretched, and one touching the other.
and one looks through the spaces bc-
tween the fingers toward the light.
there appears a scarlet rcd color where
the fingers touch each other. due TO the
still circulating luid blood. ~ IL shows
itself through the transparent,
not yet congested tissues; but when lie
is extinct this phenomenon at once
ceases. The most extensive and thor
ough trials established fhc truth of this
observation, and the prize was awarded
to its discovercr.
When electricity, or rather its appll-
cation in medicine. came In vogue, Il
was first thought that II would be- n
means Of deciding whether n person
based upon the fact Of electro muscular
contraction. But experience soon
proved that for one TO three hours after
death has taken place. aud in some
cases where rIgidity but slowly cnsues
for still longer period. the muscles OF
a dead individual respond ~ well Ia the
electric stimulus rs those of the living
being.
DIR. Max Buch now publishes In the
Central, I. Neucnhlkd., ?, 81, a modli.
cation Of The above. and what promises
10 be \ reliable and scientific proof ~
death. for thus far no scientific test ex.
listed.
While In the living the temperature
Of the surface over muscle In the act
Of or Immediately after contraction de-
ly wanting In the dead. aud even dur.
ing the time (one-half u three hours) In
which q ter death the muscle still 10.
tains its contractility. Having placed
therefore, n surface thermometer ON ths
skin. and having waited until the tenn.
perature has continued Mt one and the
same height for about five minutes. the
muscle Just below ths bulb of the lher-
mometer Is made to contract By elec.
trio irritation. IL, then. the column oi
mercury does not rapidly ascend we have
the most definite and tho scientific
proof that life Is extinct In the body,
while II tho temperature increases II h
just as certain that there II still life.
Under normal condition the skin fog
considerable distance increases by sev-
eral degrees In temperature II IN the
muscle below Is caused powerful cleo.
trical contraction; aud this pheaome.
non Is also observed In paraly fcd Iimhsi
while In the dead nerves the produ tion
of heat, ~ induced by motion. hes sor-
ever ceased.
The method. II 10 trnc. he's nos yet
been tested la the cataleptic case m
sembling death; but u is to be supposed
that rs long M there u the fA'nts~i
trace ot circulation 10 long will ln.
creased activity In any part of the bods
produce corresponding Increase u
heat Apropos, this observation leads
US 10 another interesting fact ID u
well-known that all over Ia natars
rapid motion calls forth heat. and this
Is the more apparent the moe frictiou
attends 10 motion. Two STONES OF two
metals rubbed together viii soon inducs
warmth. and the Indians are sNld 10 n
able to start nre by the Violent fric'
ton OF two pieces of wood with sarh
other. Il is said that no Law a mature
knows IN exception. ~ 10 smoant u
motion or friction will elliott The Isasl
warmth In the decomposlng tlasus. bat
that some mysterious prccess of keai
regulation Il still active within tks dsad
body may be seen from the fNce that No
matter what the temperature q the
surrounding atmosphsru. the surfacs u
the body will 60 ON decreesing ~ own
temperature until the state a. rlkh1ily
Is ended and active decomposlelue co9-
mences. - Medicd and bwvosssj ~.
porter.