Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-08-01
ELECTRIC SHOCKS.
Two MEN GIVEN UP FOR DEAD
RESTORED TO LIFE.
A Professor Revives while Arrange
ments are Underway for his Fune-
ral.-The Extraordinary Case Of q
Telegraph Lineman.

Telegraph Lineman.
In all the experiments that have been
tried to test the electric current as
sure means of death animals have been
used, says the New York letter to the
Cincinnati Enquirer. The machinery
seems to have worked well, according to
the reports of the electricians, and the
animals were killed decently and in
order in the fraction of a second. The
strength of the current used was ! 900
volts, which is said to he strong enough
to kill any thing that lives.
In the face of all this comes Prof.
Senior, Of New Haven, the distinguish
ed scientist, with the announcement
that electricity does not kill, but that
its action is to suspend the vital forces
and hold them in check for q longer or
shorter period, depending upon the con-
stitution of the person who has received
the shock, and the utility Of the agents
employed TO assist in restoring the
balance of power in the system. Prof.
Senior, while experimenting with cleo
tricity, received q shock equivalent to
$500 volts, 1,500 more than is to be
used III executions, and yet he is alive
and able to record his experience. He
received the terrible shock through his
hands, which were severely burned, and
was knocked down instantly in an UNI
conscious condition. In few moments
all the vital functions had apparently
been stopped, and he was believed to be
dead. Arrangements were made for his
| funeral, but the professor had instructed
his family i'll case he should die sudden
ly not to bury him until signs of decom-
position had appeared, and his body was
not put ON ice. The body was cold and
stiff, and there was not the slightest sign
of life, but the black spots of decay
we're absent. At the expiration of fifty
hours the professor astonished the watch
ers at his bier by suddenly opening his
eyes and calling for a drink. He was
soon able to get up and attend to his
affairs. The shock that he received was
so powerful that it completely shattered
his nervous system, and he has since
been inclined to hysteria. He does not
remember anything about receiving
the electric current, but has distinct
recollection of the mental impress
sion while in the state of coma.
He compares it to nightmare, in
which there is enough consciousness to
know that one is dreaming and strong
effort is made to wake up. The expert
ence of Prof. Sender led DIR. Harrington,
at the Carnegie Laboratory, in this
city, to test the correctness of his
theory by alternately killing dogs and
other animals with electricity and re-
suscitating them. The result was highly
gratifying, and many OF the animals
were restored to life after they had APP
parently been dead but an animal is not
human being, and the experiments, for
this reason, were not perfectly satisfac-
tory.
Fortunately for science an opportu-
nifty soon came in which a man could
be substituted for an animal and test
made. Joseph Forney, a lineman on
one of the local electric light compan-
les, while at work in the factory con-
Meeting wires with the switch board, re-
ceived a shock through his hands, and
was knocked senseless. An ambulance
came within five minutes, and, as he
was not quite dead, he was taken to
Bellevue Hospital. Upon reaching the
Hospital the doctors pronounced Forney
dead, and he was removed to the dead
house. Dr. Harrington was holding an
autopsy there at the same time, and on
learning the cause of death had the
body of Forney carried without delay to
the laboratory. There was neither pulse
nor heartbeat, and it looked like
waste of time to experiment with the
body. After the clothing had been rip
ped of, the body was placed in large
oven or retort in n PROSTATE position.
Heat was applied under The retort, and
in short time the temperature had
reached / 400 degrees, and it was main
tanned at this point afterward. When
the body had become thoroughly heat
ed, it was taken out and laid upon
table. Dilute oxygen gas was forced
into the lungs with pump, ard ex-
peled by squeezing the ribs and abdo-
men and moving the arms, as is done in
artificial respiration. This was kept up
until the body became cool, and it was
returned to the retort to be heated.
When the right temperature had been
reached it was taken out; the oxygen
gas was used again. This was kept up
for eight hours. Then the body was
placed in hot water, which was charged
with strong magnetic current, and the
head was packed III Ice and allowed 10
remain for two hours. Up to this time
there had been no change in the appear
ance of the body, but after the body was
taken from the water q hypodermic III
lection OF brandy was given in the
breast, and it was absorbed. This could
not happen in dead body and Dir. Far
rington and his assistants went on with
the work with revived vigor. The reg
ular routine of heat. oxygen, artificial
respiration, hot water and magnetism |
wes persisted in, with occasional injec-
tions of brandy and ammonia. In iif-
teen hours the body had turned bright /
scarlet, and after eighteen hours there
was movement of the right hand up /
ward, as if to wipe the face. This was
followed shortly by twitching of the /
entire body, and then there was sudden
jump of the heart, rs if it were trying to I
burst the ribs. 1t continued to beat Vi