The Dickinson press., 1899-04-01
GERM CELLS OF LIFE,
.-rhEY>RETs!M- VITALITY EVEN AFTER
APPARENT DEATH.
A Startling Theory Showing That
Insrant Death Is IN Impossibility
and That We May BE Conscious For
Some Time After Dissolution.

A Startling Theory Showing Tha
Instant Dealt Is an ImpossibiIit,
and That We May BE Conscious Flo,
Some Time After Dissolution.
"You often meet with the phrase
"death was instantaneous" and YOU
believe it. but instant death is impossi
BILE.
A professor has been studying the
subject, a man Of renown in his owl
world, and he has discovered certain
important data proving conclusively
that no one can meet with instant
death. He works out his theory on the
data afforded by the physiology of cells.
He states that no n yet has proved
the difference between q dead and a live
brain cell. When this has been done,
then we can more easily ascertain how
long a time elapses before the death of a
cell takes place.
But, first, what is cell3 To be brief,
f,rpMnts and Misunderstanding, of
course, man-are built up Of units, ele-
mentary units, which you can only de-
tect under the microscope. Now, each
tiny cell is a vital elementary unit. We
are nothing but highly developed results
Of the individual vitality of huge guam
titles of these fundamental cells.
AS this is undeniably so, how is it
possible, by simple decapitation, say,
to cause instant death in the millions Of
cells which compose the brain? 1t is
known that brain cells have their own
cell life and are liable to live a certain
time after they are cut off from outside
nutrition without the supply of any
blood whatever from the body. The
nourishment is supplied inside the cell
walls. and it can go on living after be-
ing cut off from other resources.
From this argument it Is clear to the
-profesaor@thatSthese millions Of cells in
Inc brain must continue to live after
death has apparently intervened-that
is, when death appears, but only on the
outside, to have been instantaneous.
After a mans leg is cut of, or an
animals, you can stimulate the nerves
for a long time, but you cannot do it
after the cells are dead. You cannot get
any response at all.
Electricity has been thought to be the
germ Of life, but this is q fanciful the
DRY when. confronted with the new laws
as by research established.
The countless millions Of cells of
which our bodies are entirely composed
contain the germ Of life, and it is i'm
possible for these to be visited with an
instantaneous unconsciousness
You can take living cells from a pigs
glands. and this same professor will
demonstrate to you that after these
glands have gone through their prepara-
ton the cells are still living.
But the curious fact remains that at
present there are no data showing the
supposed length of time it takes for the
cells Of the brain to empty themselves
of the germ of consciousness or life, but
it is certain that consciousness does not
cease Immediately after say, a head
has been cut off a body. The belief,
however, is that at least four OF five
minutes must elapse ere death finally
steps in to arrest life.
1t has been noticed in the case Of q
decapitated head that the cheeks remain
red for some minutes after the sever
ance, a conclusive proof that the cells
are living.
The heads of decapitated animals
have Continued to bite and snap at the