The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-19
SIGNS OF DEATH.
Evidences by Which Physicians Deter
mine the Absence OF Life.
Whashtugtou City Evening Star

mtn0 the Absence OF LtHos
Washington City Evening STAR
When Carlyle Harris was killed by cleo
tricity the other day. the physicians pres
ent made haste to examine the boly as
quickly as the current was shut of. Their
interest in settling the question as to
whether life was extinct or not was aug.
mented by the recently published state
ment of q distinguished French authority
to the effect that tho appearances of death
produced by this mysterious fluid we're de-
ceptive-in other words, that the victim
retains the vital spark. though rendered
in manner torpid. Nevertheless, it was
promptly decided by all the witnesses at
hand that the murderer of Helen Potts
was absolutely and irreyocably dead.
So deceptive are many of the ordinary
evidences of death that medical science
has given to this subject a great deal of
attention. 1t used to be supposed that
people were often buried alive through
accident, and writer's Of romance have
dwelt upon this species Of horror with
much JUNCTION. During the war Of the re-
belIion many soldiers were said to have
been inferred while living who were
merely in a lethargy or stupor arising
from loss Of blood. exhaustion, cold and
fear. Bodies have often been found
turned over in collins, as If the occupants
had walked up and tried to get out In
numerous other cases Of similar sort the
tongue has been discovered protruding
from the mouth, as if from suffocation.
and there have been stains from bleeding
on the burial clothes.
Now, such facts as these were amply
sufficient in former days to convince the
most skeptical that the persons concerned
had been inferred alive. But 1t is now
known that such phenomena are exhibited
normal. The turning Of corpse IN ats
coffin IS brought about by the expansion
of the gases of putrefaction. The pro-
lection Of the tongue from the mouth IS
an effect Of the Same cause. Bleeding
often occurs after death. In fact. such .
hemorrhage is known to have taken place
eight days after death. In this instance
the bleeding was from wounds inflicted
during life.
Ii the finger of a person in whom the
vital spark still fingers be tightly bound
with q piece OF string the enc OF the
fingers will soon become red and then blu
ish. But If the individual be dead no such
effect will be produced by the application
of a liga,ure. II during life clean and
brigh, needle be thrust into the muscles Of
the body. the steel rapidly rusis on being
Withdrawn. After death no such oxida-
ton takes place. it is said. However. the
certainty of this latter test IS disputed
One of the most familiar methods OF de-
termining absence Of life is that OF produc-
ing blister by heat. as with the flame OF
a candle. If the skin beneath and around
the blister becomes red the inoiviooa
lives; otherwise he is dead.
One of the most reliable tests OF inns
question is made by holding the hand OK
the supposed cadaver between the eye ana
the light OF n candle or lamp. When thus
examined, the hand of living person mas
= rosy color between the fingers. ihis Is
not the case with corpse. only !ew
days ago a woman was found dead IN pea
at hotel in Chicago, with pistol IN her
| hand and a bullet hole in her temple. n
man who is supposed to have lett her
few hours previously was accused OF nav
ing murdered her. but the coroners Jury
decided tina; il was case OF suicide: 90
far IS the newspaper reports indicated. the
| jury did not pay attention 10 one inoss
important point in the evidence, IL the
| revolver vas tightly grasped IN the oeao
woman's hand she must have COMMITTED
| suicide. IL Is not possible for another m
! dlyidEal 10 tighten the relaxed grip Oh
| dead person upon a weapon
| II the person has committed suicide ting
! weapon viii be found RICHLY grasped WIN