The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-11

plucky iittlc doctor Tor ihe last lew cars,
but not long ago he turned up In Chicago,
bright and chppcr. o splendid apccimcn
of q man in perfect health, AID with q
rotundity OF form indicative rather Of the
bon vivant than Of a man who cats only
two meals q day in sumner and only ono
In winter.
"Nvhcrc have you been keeping your
self doctor asked a reporter, after
friendly greeting had been exchanged.
IL have inst returned from New Mex
leo. where / have been for nearly four
years. pursuing certain investigations OF
a scientific nature am much interested
In the subject of suspended animation or
counterfeit death. am convinced that a
far greater percentage Of people are
buried alive than oven those who have
over given the matter much thought
would be willing % believe In no coHn-
try in the world are the dead buried with
such criminal haste, | may say, as in the
United States have been looking into
this subject more or less for the last
twenty-five years. and the evidence have
accumulated is startling. tell you, II is
murder, horrible murder and i is high
time some agitation was started for the
purpose of securing needed legislation Oh
the subject of the burial of the dead.
THE MOVEMENT IS EUROPE.
"Thc principle Of life is so subtle, y con
tinued the doctor. that man with all his
science knows nothing about it, and the
only safeguard against the awful crime
of burying alive those VIC love lies in the
precautions that are taken against com
hitting their bodies to the tomb before
decomposition has set in That is the
only unmistakablc sign that death has
finally taken place The people of liol-
land were among the first TO awaken to
the Importance OF this subject and in
1864 society was organized in Amster-
dam for the purpose Of looking into cases
where death seemed counterfeit rather
than real In less than four years they
had resusctated-savcdf from cntombment
alive-nO less than 100 persons IN 1863
the authorities at Milan and Venice, and
those at Hamburg. followed the example
set By Holland, and a little later similar
societies were formed mt London, Paris
and Glasgow. As q result of the wOrl; and
investigations Of these societies, among
the members Of which wcrc some Of the
foremost scientists OF the times, it haS
been proved that in a great number OF
cases where cvery known test had been
applied and preparations rnadc for tho
burial the subjects had recovered. These
experiences led Professor MOrine, of the
University Of Rome, to offer q prize Of
100 francs for the best cssay on appar-
ent death; and the marquis d'Ouchc left
20 600 franc 70 b, used IL discovering the
best means that coald be applied in de-
tecting the counterfeit of death. And SO
in all countries statistics collated on this
subject are startling, as revealing the
danger of premature burial
Now don't yoI think" asked the
doctor, "that this i5a subject that peo-
pic should discuss. should be walked up
abOutf'
"What remedy have you to offer,
DOCTOR
simply this: hold-and It certainly
cannot be successfully Contradicted-that
tho setting il Of decomposition is the
only certain sign Of death IN tho ab-
scnco Of this burial should be delayed
weeks and months. if necessary, for so
long as there is 10 decay life may hang by
q feeble thread. and, by that subtlenes5
of which have already spoken, the re-
covery be spontaneous.
TIE DOCTOR WILL HIBERNATE.
another discovery that have made
said the doctor. lis that alternating ami
mal3 do not use their lungs during tho
period Of hibernati0n For several years
have been studying tho habits of this
class Of animals, and. DO you know, |
am about convinced that man can hiber-
udtc'--
Hero the reporter must have looked the
incredulity ne felt. for the doctor fastened
to explain. "Takc the bear for example;
its organs of respiration are tho same as
mans. and il hibcrnates for months with
ont food or drink. | have also been
studying the philosophy Of the adopts
who used 10 be able 10 go into the death
trance at VIII Their preparation for this
wa3 long fasting. and the trance condi-
ton following vas. iii my opinion, sea
SOL Of Information an studying now
with view Of making some experiments
in this line, and the time may come when
will permit myself 10 be sealed up IN an
air tight coffin and laid away until such
tino as | shall designate for II to be
opened.
But, doctor. you will not expect to
cone out Of test like that alive, Will
yoal"
Yes, indeed, " was the earnest reply.
Al have twice been near the portals of
the tomb in my studies of this subject OF
life principle and Of suspended animation,
aud firmly believe can go still nearer
that can 10 eli outward appearances be
dead. and, remaining that way for a
length Of time, can still come back liy-
ing witness Of the truth Of my theories
and investigations
Speaking of his fast, lie said: The
fact is with most people the body rules
the mind, while the reverse should be the
case-the mind should control the body.
Appetite, aud il may BE- Q depraved one,
clamors for this or that desired article,
and people rash OF to crafty it. When
! beean my forty days fasting | said 70
nv stomach: Here, old fellow, | have a
Job for you ! want You % take good
iong rest, and went no grunbling about
it That settled it. AT 10 o'clock of the
last Gay OF iaV fast, whenI lad only two
hours 70, little child that was in The
rcoui where | was thrust q ripe peach IN.
&c, nose. ii Adam was tempted as
u 90 not wonder that lie fell.
haa 81. little longer TO 60 without eating
that rclaxe,.ny viii power, and truly
my greatest saAeriugs were during the
Ioc. ,yo Ieur.. Of my fast n-l nlcarO