Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-07-21
Badly e eagle.
COMING TO LIFE AGAIN.
NEW AND NOVEL EXPERIMENTS IN
REvlvlFIcATloN.

nCstSn IVA ION.
The Northumberland Case Of the Hin
100 Fakir-An Extraordinary Instance
OF the Trance Condition OF Existence
A Swedish Scientists Theory.
The scientific experimenter and the relig-
tous aealot have ever had the same enemy
to overcome-a hooking world. As late
In history as 1920 George Stephenson used
every effort to have William Brougham
consigned to Bedlam for advancing his won
derful theory of steam locomotion, which,
since its adoption, has proved of such ben
cit to man. This is but one of the many
instances where q mans incredulity has
been a proof of his ignorance and lack of
genius If, then, the innovations in the
form Of the most practical improvements
are looked upon askance by the world, what
. small chance must abstruse scientific
knowledge have of establishing its theories
and beliefs. Yet, there comes, from widely
divergent parts OF the earth, theory which
makes the most credulous doubt, and the
most incredulous eager to believe 1t is the
theory OF revivification, by which persons
apparently dead can be brought back to
life
First, the startling announce ent Of Pro-
lessor Grasselback, distinguished Swedish
chemist of the University OF Upsal, in refer
sence to the Egyptian mummies found in a
! state Of perfect preservation in the ancient
tombs of the Nile, surprised the scientific
world. Differing from other mummies in
that neither their brains nor entrails had
been removed, he claims that they were not
embalmed at all, but ARE really the bodies
OF individuals whose lives have been mo-
mentarily suspended, with the intention of
restoring them at some future time-only
the secret is lost" An instance in modern
history which seems to give plausibility to
this belief in suspended animation" is par
tcularly apropos.
HINDOo FAKIR'S RESUSCITATION.
Sir Claude NJ. Wade political resident at
Ludianah, British agent at the court of
Rujit Singh, affirms most solemnly that he
saw q fakir OF Hindostan brought back to
life after being apparently dead for six
weeks, at Lahore, in 1887. He says he ar
rived at the place a few hours after the
fakir had been buried; the Runjit Singh
and other responsible persons testifying TO
the truth of his death. The tomb contain
ing the body was a square room, called a
barra durri, situated i'm the garden ad join-
ing the palace 1t had four doors, three of
which were Theoretically sealed, the fourth
of iron, Icing secured with a paddock, the
hole of which was sealed with the private
seal of the raJah; hence there was NJ pos
sible means of entrance or egresS Besides
these precautions two companies kept guard
to prevent fraud. At the end of the SIX
weeks a. number Of dignitaries assembled to
witness the resuscitation, and, On opening
the coffin, SIR Claude Wade says the limbs
OF the fakir were shrunken as if in death,
the face only looking full and natural The
corpse was then subjected to system Of
treatment, in which hot applications to the
head and limbs were prominent, and in less
than half an hour tine fakir was talking
freely. The interest thus awakened in the
British agent, resulted in his subsequently
making investigations bearing on the SUBJ
ject, during which he learned that "the ra-
tionale of the process rested on the view of
the Hindoo Psychologists that heat consti-
tutes the self existent principle of life, and
that ii the functions even he so far inter-
,upted as to leave this one in perfect pur-
lty, life can be retained for long periods
without air, food or other means OF susie
nAnce
That such a thing as suspending ANNA
tion was really known and practiced at SO
late . date as the nineteenth century makes
It more thar probable that it was known to
the ancients That there was q mysterious
"black art" known to. and practiced by,
the people OF the east is no myth; but that
all knowledge Of it was lost in the destruc-
ton Of the Atxandrian library, except
what tradition has handed down, is equally
certain The object now, however, of the
scientific investigator is to discover the
secret by which this suspended animation
may BE- restored
Mr. Francis Gerry Fairfield, in his essay
on apparent DEATH" gives an instance
where the knowledge terminated tragically.
A certain Ra ali of Puttiali, named Phul,
who knew the art OF feigning death, eluded
The hands of his creditors by dying suddenly;
dis body was then given to his wife. Reaiji
Bali, who had it taken back to his home,
and by her knowledge of the secret of reviv-
ification, restored him to his original condi-
ton. Later on however, he had occasion
to play the same sharp trick but having in
the meantime married another wife unac-
quainted with the art, and who believed him
really dead, his body was burnt with due
ceremony.
Now, presume this is what Professor
Graaselback believes 10 have happened to
those mummies founI in the tonlbs of the
Nile; that for some reason of their own
their animation had been suspended, and
before the period set for their return to life
had elapsed, those possessed of the secret
had died, and their secret with them The
professor presents many proofs of bis theory
of reviviiication, most convincing of which
are his own successful experiments during
the past ten or more years He claims 70
have treated a live snake in such a way as
to make it present in every particular the
characteristics OF a marble one-even e the
extreme brittleness; having preserved it in
this condition for several years, he applied
to It some stimulating fluid, known only to
himself, by which it was restored to life This
he repeated many times for fifteen years.
during which the snake was alternately
petrited and revivisied at the will of the
professor, who was SO delighted with his
success that be has petitioned the Swedish
government to allow him some of the con-
demned criminals TO experiment on, prom
Ltsing to bring them back to life a. the end
.ssf two years, the criminals to be then par
doned
Mr.. James l. Finch and DR. Armitage,
in our own country, give some interesting
accounts of resuscitating animals apparently
dead One was dog they killed by bleed
ing, and afterwards brought back to life by
inserting the blood of living dog in its
veins
The theory of NJ Robin the distinguished
French chemist, is allied TO regeneration,
the faith of the Rosicrucians. who, it was
believed, renewed the tissues of their bodies
by eating certain herbs To Mr.. Robin
lac1nre acid is the prolonger of life and he
Chains its power to be untailing Whether
ar not the knowledge Of revivitication and
rsiuvenation would be blessing to the
world ID an open question. Surely the fate
uf ths Wandering Jew" is an unenviable
one. Exceeding long life was pronounced
upon him as the greatest curse, and certainly