St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-22
Very Old People Said to B
Especially Predisposed to
Apparent Death.
Very Young Children Are Also
Often Alive When Thought
to Be Dead.
Examples of Resurrection
Electricity Used With
Good Effect.

" ldollilS SOOO W
says the Philadelphia Times. Before it
occurred cases of apparent yet not real
death were held to be so extremely rare
that none in a thousand of the sensa-
tional reports of such were believed by
physicians to have any foundation what
ever.
But they have been carefully study
fng the subject and making thorough
investigations, and most of them are
now ready to accept that persons are
often considered as being dead when
they are not so in reality. Many such
cases absolutely authentic have been
reported during the past year. DR..
Clark. of indianapolis, tells of several
recent cases in his section. One was
that of woman in Steubenville, o.,
who was pronounced dead by six ply
sicians, and yet life returned after four
teen days.
Another, of woman in st. Louis. IN
whom slight sign of life was discOv-
erred just before the coffin was to be
closed. NJ. Bronardel, a French physi-
clan, has written upon this subject and
brought out much of interest. He con-
siders that the newly born. also young
children and aged and enfeebled per-
sons are, especially prediSDoSed to APP
parent death. He believes that in in
fictitious diseases and algid feverS there
are
Many Examples of Resurrection.
The ptomaines he considers to have
characteristic an9sthetic properties; in
jected into frog, the latter assumes
any given cataleptic properties that may
be desired. The physician is most apt
to be deceived by bysterical persons,
who are capable of living like hibernat-
ing animals. In persons convaleScing
from grave diseases syncope is easily in
duced at the moment the patient arises:
the deficient cerebral circulation and
nervous stagnatiOn in the lower limbs
are favorable conditions to the occur
renee of apparent death.
Nj. Bronardel relates the case of
criminal who was hung in Boston at 10
a. m, take down at 1925 a. M, and
transferred to the anatomical amphithe-
alter an hour thereafter, when his pulse
recommended to heat. On opening the
thoraX the pulse was seen to beat forty
minute. and it stopped beating at 2:45
pm. Hoffman tells of similar case.
Burning the Past Two Years
many cases of recovery after apparent
death from electricity have been report
ed: that in some there was no sign of
life from between two and three hours.
NJ. Lester recorded seven cases where
the subjects, under the action of light
ming, had remained apparently dead for
periods varying from several minutes to
three hours. Physicians who took the
observations stated that no pulse could
be felt at all, the eXcitation having
been strong enough to stop the hearts
action.
A few years ago scarcely physician
could be found who believed it possible
for person to return to life after hav-
ing been buried even for a day. But
now the fact finds ready acceptance that
people have been buried from eight to
fifteen days and yet been resuscitated.
An interesting physiological fact bear
ing upon this subject has recently been
brought out by experiments upon dogs
with curare, the substance which the
South American Indian uses to poison
his arrows. This poison paralyZes the
lungs first, and afterwards the heart,
and when given to dogs they generally
fall apparently dead within five min
uteS.
But in All Instances
where artificial respiration was com
menced before the heart stopped, and
persisted in for sufficient length of
time, recovery took place, the heart
being by this means kept at
work until the poison was elm
mated by the lungs. Accidents i'm
which occur much the same physioIogi-
cal changes as are produced by curare
are not very infreQuent, and from these
experiments conclusions of value can be
drawn. Deaths under chloroform and
either are occasionally reported. In this
class of cases the hope of resuscitation
would seem to be even greater than is
usual in those of sudden death.
Where person who has been under
treatment appears to have died, even if
suddenly and unexpectedly. it is quite a
common custom of the relatives among
all classes to depend upon their own
diagnosis of death. and to at once lay
out the body, send for the undertaken
etc. The doctor is usually Informed f
the unhappy occurrences; seldom, how
ever, until several hours afterward, the
principal object of notifying him being
20 prevent his making another visit.
very likely, III consequence of this Gus
tom, many lives are lost which might be
saved were the physician called at once
and efforts to resuscitate were made by
him: There is one point to be consid-
cred in this connection.
In Cases of Sickness
people generally show the least possible
sense. 1t is a notorious fact that in
every case of death, except in some
such chronic disease as consumption or
cancer. they will lay the blame on the
attending physician. if it is a possible
thing to do. Were he called in directly
after a patient of his had died, and he
at once employed artificial respiration
or tried to stimulate the heart by hypo-
dermic injections. the chances are that
the relatives and friends would jump to
the conclusion that he had been giving
medicine In overdoSes. and had poi
soned III consequence, and was now en-
deavoring to resuscitate his victim,
The more intelligent reader will think
this absurd, and yet few years in the
practice of medicine would convince
him to the contrary.
DIR. Clark, in advising young pbyE
sicianS, urges them in cases of death by
drowning not to fail to use electricity
in their efforts to resuscitate. He SAYS
that fine point OF differentiation as to
the probability of reSuscitation in case
of drowning is whether it was suicidal or
accidental, for suicide can not be saved
after five minutes of submergence, but
the accidentally drowned may De sub
merged twenty and possibly thirty min
ntes, and yet be resuscitated. The hor-
ror and revulsiOn of feeling and fear of
death of the latter are not present in
the former, and this influence on the
mechanism of the heart may account for
the difference. "PerSevere in your eff
forts. as life has been restored in drown
ing cases after four hours work.
As Said in the Beginning,
the case of Bishop was mainly instru-
mental in bringing out the danger of
people being left for dead while life yet
remains. Every one should understand
this danger, and accept the truth that
Nas long as there is life there is hope"
another, that sometimes there is hope
after apparent death. If person
stricken with an incurable disease dies
after lingering illness, the sign of
death may generally be accepted by mo-
hive; but in all instance where person