New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-21
SUSPENDED ANIMATION.
TILE MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENA OF Gaia
LEPSY.
SOME INSTANCES OF THE DIFFICULTY OF DIS,
TINGUIsHING LIFE FROM DEATH.


ton not understood Medical science has not hitherto
been able 10 discover its or its true nature.
Possibly rcscarch has been too strictly physiological.
but however that may be- It Is certain that catalepc
phenomena baille investigation In this or analogous
conditions anc this Is point Of primo importancc-it
Is possible for death TO be mlaed closely that all
! It's ordinary indications apparent, such ~
cessation OF respiration and circulation loss Of heat
even cadav eric rgidy. The test OF death most de-
/ pended upon. namely, the presence or absence OF
muscular irrt!ablty, as determined by electrical or
other stimulation, Is not absolutely conclusive. This
Is shown in the fact that whereas. according to the
commonly accepted theory. the loss Of muscular ir.
rabilty is succeeded by cadaverc risdlty which Is
certain proof Of death, rccoul In which
life has been restored resumed after tho appearance
of this supposed-to-be nfallibs test. There is tho
! case Of Colonel Townsend lie able OF his own
voion To simulate death closely that all the usual
signs Of that change were present. Dr. George
Cheyne witnessed this operation. aud has recorded II In
detail Colonel Townsend remained apparently
| dead for fully half an hour ON ono
| occasion he performed tho experiment in
| tho presence Of three medical men. who found
that respiration and pulsauon gradually ceased until
| no trace Of either could be detected In fact. tho
three ob9ervcrs became convinced the man really
was dead and they about to leave him. under that
belief when signs Of life appeared and he slowly re-
Vlved THIS may not have been caialcpsy. but It
| Certainly case OF suspended animation
Dr. ". b. Carpenter says IN his Physiology d" 1t
quite certain that apparent cess alton Of all the
Vial functions may take place without that entire
loss Of vitality which would leave the organism in tho
condition of dead body, liable % 10 speedily dlslnte
grated by the operation Of chemical and physical
agencies II also apparently a fact that such ap
parma cessation OF all the vital functions NAV con
iinue for indefinite period when the right copd
lions exist The best known Illustration Of this Is tho
case Of the Fakr OF Lahore, who was buried for six
weeks, at the instance Of Eunjcot Singh as atestcd
by Sir Claude Wade tho British Resident at the Court
OF Loodhlana, in 1887 In this thoroughly autaenu.
Gated casc-which. however. IS but one Of a class Of
similar facts known to Anglo Indians and travellers
the Faldr was first put into linen bag, the bag
placed In wooden box fastened with paddock the
wooden box was deposited IN a cell In the middle Of
square brick vault. every aperture OF which but
was ogchci up, while the remaining door was built
up with mud above the lock. and fastened with the
RaIaE'. seal As final precautlcn. a company Of
soldiers was detailed to guan the vault day and night
four sentrcs constantly pstrOlng IT, four sides during
The whole period when. at the expiration OF six
weeks, the vault ard tho box were successfully
operrd, SIR Claude WGd" who. with Runicot singh had
cnt'rrd the building, and iahen their plscs close the
body, TO see everything this IS what appeared
before them: The servant then began pouring
water t.. figure but my object to
II any fraudulent Practice coull be detected, pro
posed 10 unjrct Singh Ia open ths Rag and have
q perfect view OF the body before any means OF re
suscltaiion employed. civ did so AMI
may hogp remark that the bag. when first BY
App"acd widowed, as II hSi been buSIci some time.
The less ard arms Of the body werr shhvolled aud
siin the face fun the head reclining on the shoulder
like that Of corpse then called 20 the medical
gentleman who attending 10 come down and In
Gpect the body, which hc did, but could discover no
pulsation In tho heart, the rmpes. the Thsro
Was however heat about the region Of the brain,
viii oh otfer art Of thp bDf
~Tne servant then recommended bathing him with
no, watcr and gradhSBy relaxing hts arms and legs
from the rigid state In whirh thry were contracted,
Runte' Singh taking his tight and I his left log,
TO aid by friction IN restoring them u their proper
Aouon; during which time tho servant PLACED hot
wheaton cake about inch thick, Oh the top Of tho
hoad-a process which no twico or thrice renewed
lie thon pulled out OF his nTstrlb AMI the wax
and cotton With which they were stopped ard after
great exert opened his mouth by Inserting tho point
81 a knife between his teeth, and while hOding his
Jaws open with his lefI hand, drew the tongue for
warl with his r!grt-in u" course OF which the
tonClc Eow back several times 70 It's curved position
upwari N which had originally hTn, 10 a. TO close
the gllDt He then rubbed lis cycds with Chez
Tor clarified butteD for some seconds, untl he sue.
cecdci IN opening them, whcn the eyes Appeared
quito mutionloss and glazed. After tho cake had
boon applied for the hiri time 10 the top OF hts
hcad his body violently o"nvulsnd, tho nostuls
inflated, respiration eubAcd ana Inc lihbN
began 10 assuuc BaturaL fIlnrs, but thr pusatI"n
was Htill family pcropGbl" The servant then Iut
some OF the ehee Oh his tongue, AID made INN
swallow H. Ew minutes AtF"hh ire rJroAia
LecauF, d!latei and recovered their natural color,
when the Fakr, recognizing kunI~i sing" 'uunS
close 20 Inn, Atcu'atcd, in lo", >"pH,L'4t t""e:
srarrolv auCblr. 10 you believe ne ~" - KuH.rt
singh replied IN the Affirmative, and lnvesi"l L.,
FaEr witA a pearl necklace and suP"rp pair 81 R.id
bracelets, and Pic Is Of muslin luh M'h a"d shaNh
forming what Is called q kAeiii bu'h a" "a "HA4,H
rngtrrT-i by no Princes Of luIa Oh persons Of dS
rom
~ tao recovery OF lhr ''',, 40" cl,, Dloi"
s ana in ma another haf hour the fanr ,alhrd
With myself and those about him freely, though f""Oy:
Tho a sick person and W then LEFT him, co9yn.ei
that there lad been fraud Or collision In tho e1-
ms case, 80 clrcum,tantlally narrated and so
strongly authenticated. docs not stand alone. Another
case Is recorded BY Lieutenant boi!eau In which
man hSd been buried for ten Gays grave . n'e ,8S
IuiLg ~ he was ,.Iy to submit 10 an ntermcnt
cases the appearance OF the body when disnterrod Is
described beng qnGl .,,,,, G1Fpss "IS h ssG
or a. the arteries It may well DO asked
in view OF such possibilities OF suspended animation
CURED in cases Of cAtaepsy or trance by any other
indication than that OF decomposition Or Carpenter
monty relied upon by witch roal is certainly d,tin,
aulshsble from apparent death are faliaclonS ana
death as given by The occurrence OF putrrfaruon-
No reliance he says, II 10 be placed upon ne ap
parent cessation OF the hearts acuon ana OF inc ~
spratory movements since the reduction OF these 10 so
low condition that they arr no longer Distinguishing
Is by no means Incompatible with the persistence Of
vitality. In short II Is by no means 80 easy 10 !
derponstrate tho Occurrence Of death Is commonly
supposed and follows that In all cases where there
&c spccial reason for doIbt-As whcrr the pAu"nt Is
known 10 have been subject Ia CatRiepc seizures
greatest possible carr should be eHeris'd and, a tho
srest precauuon, The longest time possible should be
allowed to elapse before autopsy or incFmeht DO per
mi'ted. 49,, 49,, - ,-,
simulated ARE go little understood, and tho rahOna
az suspended animation Is 40 omphatlcaly seal cd
hook 10 medical science A. present that hasfy action
In such cases can never be justhahlr Probably nine
ont OF ton physicians would have pronouneei Colonel
Townsend and tho Fadr % Lahore 10 Be dead vet /
tbey were both very thoroughly alive, tho event
moved Considering how very hitlc is known " |
nraIu no an rNcess n caution m dealing with