The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-02
DEATHS CERTAIN SIGN.
IT has NOT BEEN FOUND IN hNF TEST
or NATURAL DIssOLUIION

his head was covered with q slight moisture
Upon removing this plate his face was found
| to be moist.
A physician Immediately examined the
body, but declared that life was extinct.
The coffin was about to be lowered into
tho grave. whom tho relatives pleaded that
IL be taken to the church and left there over
night Throughout that night there was
never a moment when some eye did not
rest upon the casket There were no signs OF
dissolution. and ut aybreak the face presented
a sing ularly life-liks appearance. The checks
were red and seemed to belong to q man In the
full bloom OF health. At noon. however the
signs OF dissolution suddenly became marked
and the body was buried with the full consent
OF the family.
This story. as It was published. did not tell
what tests the physician used to determine
whether life was extinct or not There are
many people In tho world who often allow their
mind to dwell upon the fear or tho horror Of
being buried alive. It 10 net often that there
arises q doubt as to whether life is extinct or
not. but nevertheless physicians have given
tho matter considerable study. and strange to
say. they have not yet devised single test
which will immediately and surely prove that
person is alive or dead.
During great plague In southern Germany
in tho last century people died like sheep. and
in the excitement and the struggle for safety
among those that survived but little attention
could be given to any person who had reached
that stage Of the disease whore. unconscious
ness set IN. When they reached that point they
srs H1n sn s.t
In several instances that patients under careful
sss ns dread .as a
srssted 50 much s.eite%ent thst The ssuthoIi:
well as they could. They went about 1t thus:
to &c 1s or
test W5ss end sdfisdh his
rope, The bell was SO balanced that the
slightest the most impereeptible movement OF
once aliaysd the excitement that prevailed.
and whom upon the bell actually rang and the
sSssG & s1Js Sss a he
full error had been devised. ~
In latter years; however. ,physiciaps have
minut ss %hsther dssth had set IN Of not Al:
not 'f and one Which would do It quickly. simply.
tine nh F S.sSmD1 hy 81 sinh
TRis test ss Wss hold The hsnd
dead person before q strong artificial light
with the fingers extended and just touching
The physioian's theory was that II there DO .
Ss @
y s "a Sss
and death has occurred. The French. Academy
was so impressed with the value Of this test
Enss comes snd
that this test is not = whit more reliable Or
Pc perfectly. satisfactory: In the June Lance.
" The IN o
scribes the following remarkable case:
was called in January last to visit lady 78 ysars
OF age. suffering from chronic bronchitis. She had
often suffered intervals from similar attacks during
period OF twenty-five years. The present attack
severe. and As she was obviously in state Of
senie deerepitude. her symptoms naturally gave rise
to considerable anxiety Nevertheless she rallied and
improved % much that after . fow days. my attend.
no longer required.
Ifnoard nothing moro OF this lady until Feb. Go
period of three weeks-when was summoned early in
the morning to SEQ her Immediately. The messenger
told that she had retired to bed In the usual way
and had apparently died in the night but that she
looked ifeko there Ereat doubt whether death
had actually taken place. Within half an hour was
by her bedside: there was sign Of breathing or
pulse of heartbeat and tho hands. sghtly foxed.
were rather rigid. but the countenanoo looked
like that OF living person. the eyes being
open and nfoiko rbelieved her to DO dead and that
the rgidty OF the upper limbs ind Gated commencing
rigor morts but this curious fact related to
rol3tiVo once Dofofe phnhoQ INTO
death-lks state with similar symptoms even to the
rigdity of tho aud hands from which state she
had recovered. and after which she had always expe-
rienced the dres apprehension Of being buried alive
Her anxiety. It viii DO easily conceived was readily
communicated to her relatives who urged me to leave
nothing undons for Determining whether life was O.
extinct Under the circumstances suggestsd
that Dr. (now Sir Benjamin Ward Richardson. who
has made tho proofs Of death special study. should
be summoned. He arrived and submitted the
n order tasting
being written down at the moment by myself:
Heart sounds and motion entirely absent together
with all pulse movement
2. Respiratory sounds and movements absent
Temperature of the body taken from the mouth the
that Of the surrounding air In the room. 62s
Fahrenheit
bright needle plunged into the body Of the bieeps
muscle (Coquets needle tesp and left there shows on
withdrawal no sign Of oxidation
6. Intermittent shocks OF electricity at different
tensions passed into various muscles and groups Of
muscles gave indication whatever of irritsbility
e. The nllet test applied to the veins OF the arm
(Richardsons teS causes no ning OF the veins the
distal sido Of the hllet
Z. The opening of a vein to Ascertain whether the
blood has undergone coagulaton shows that the blood
was stu fluid.
8. The subcutansous Injection OF ammonia Monte
yerdes tes causes tho dirty brown stain indicavsef
dissolution.
o. making careful movements Of the Joints of the
extrenities OF tho lower Jaw and Of the ocoipto-
krOnthnb, TiRor mortb IL IOunu IN several pe1A
Thus OF these nine tests, eight distinctly declares
that death was absolute. tho exception tho nuidty
the blood being phenomenon quite compatible with
blood preteruaturAlly nud and at low temperature
even though death had occurred
TO- There now remained tho diaphanous test which
carried out by the aid OF powerful reflector lamp
yielding an excellent and penetrating light. To our
the scarlet limo OF light between the fingers
was as distinct as IL was in hands
the experiment The mass Of evidence was OF
oourse distnctiyey to the effect that death
pets but to make assurance doubiy sure We had the
temperature OF the room raised and the body carefully
watched until signs Of decomposition had set In
made visit myself on the succeeding day TO assure
myself OF this fact
The results of these experimental tests salts
factory as following and coroborang each other In
eight out OF ten different lines OF procedure bat the
point OF my paper ID TO show the utter naequscy
The diaphanous test upon which some arc inclined en-
'rey to rely. sir Benjamin Richardson has reported
m Instance In which the test applied to tho hand Of
Nv I'm hada inns f.in