Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-03-12
Boston Doctors Lei Patients
Die on Scales and Dem
onstrate It's Presence
WEIGHT is GIVEN
AT HALF AN OUNCE
Experimenter Shows Vital
Spark Occupies Space by
Loss Of Weight at Death

&. + =
Boston, March 11.-Five Massachu-
setts physicians Of the highest profess
sional standing have just attained what
they believe to be decisive results in
a scientific investigation to determine
the existence or nonexis tence Of soul
In the human body, and to determine
also whether flight of life Is attended
by any manifestation of a nature that
can be made evident to material
senses.
The Investigations. which extended
over a period Of about six years, were
conducted in a sanitarium. The re-
suits obtained. according to DR.. Dun
can MacDougal of Haverhill. one of the
cation, show that when the soul fits
from the body 1t diminishes the weight
OF, the body by certain measurable
amount.
This weight has been found to vary
between one-half ounce and one ounce,
after all known scientific deductions,
such as loss of respiratory air, of
moisture, and of all excretions and Sc
cretions of the body had been taken
into consideration.
Weigh Patients as They Die.
The method of finding this result, as
followed by the doctors, was to place
dying patients on bed upon one oi
the platforms OF a pair. Of scales made
l!expressly for the experiments These
scales were SO delicately constructed
as to be sensitive to weight OF less
than one-tenth of an ounce.
The greatest secrecy has been main
tanned in conducting these expert
ments, 1t being the desire of DR.. Dun
can MacDougal and his associates to
give no publicity to the facts until they
were established beyond doubt. DR.
MacDougal was surprised that news
reluctantly consented today to an in
terview on the subject.
During my practice among hospital
patients" he said. "and in being pres
ent at the bedside OF many dying pa
tients, my curiosity was aroused as tc
whether there might be some material
change discoverable by actual tests
which would throw scientific light upon
the mystery of the flight of life.
when person dies, the current be
lief is that his spirit or soul continues
to live My first thought was, has
continued consciousness and personal
individuality an existence? Can it ex
ist in space as nothing. 1t is known
as force-as personality, real and
actual 1t is impossible to think of II
as not occupying space. With thai
granted, the next query was, has II
weight? Forthwith began my exper
iments.
Result startIes Experimenters.
-Four other physicians under my di
| rection made the first test upon a pa
| tient dying with tuberculosis. This
man was one of the ordinary tpye o1
usual American temperament. W.
placed him few hours preceding
death upon the scale platform, which
had constructed and which was &C
curately balanced. Four hours later
| with five doctors in attendance, hs
/ died.
"The instant life ceased the opposite
scale fell with suddenness that wa:
astonishing-as if something had beer
suddenly lifted from his body. Inlrne
diately all usual deductions were made
| for physical loss OF weight and it wal
discovered there was still a full ounce
of weight unaccounted for
My fellow physicians wer. mysti
fed and only half convinced nv
self had grave doubts that our calc,l
/ lations were correct. Otherwise how
was it possible to account for tn,
! strange loss. There was no know.
scientific manner of doing SO.
"As result Of this death submit
ted another subject. afflicted with til,
same disease and nearing death, to lii.
same experiment. He was a maa y
much the same temperament as tn,
1 preceding patient and about the sam,
4 physical type The same result hap
pened at the passing Of life. The in
slant his heart ceased to beat ther,
was the sudden and almost uncann,
1 diminishment Of weight AS expert
3menters, each physician in attendanc,
made figures Of his own ccacernin,
/ the loss, and at aa consultation, thes,
figures were compared. The unac
! countable loss continued to be shown
PhIeematie Soul Slow to Fit.
More remarkable still was VIVA
took place in the third case. The sub
4 ject was that Of man of larger physi
cal build, with a pronounced sluggisl
/ Temperament. When life ceased Their
II appeared to be no change in weight
i The physicians waiting in the room