The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-12
The HUMAN SOUL
WEIGHS AN OUNCE
-Four Physicians Say 1t Exists
and They've Catalogued 1t
Like Liver and Heart.
AT WORK ON SCHEME A YEAR
Dying Patients Placed Oh Deli
cate Scales and the Flight OF
Life" Is Watched,

iS NEW YORK, March 11.-A Boston
day says:
That the human soul does exist is
the conclusion Of some Massachusetts
physicians Drs. Duncan, MacDougail
and Syroul, of Haverhill, and DR.. Grout,
b of Lawrence who for six years have
been conducting a remarkable series OF
experiments, undertaken with the OBJ
feet of demonstrating from a ply sicia'
standpoint whether or not there is such
g. thing. The experiments were carried
on in n santariuln in this State and
have been secretly guarded until an
$ actual result could be shown. Now,
1t is believed that something decisive
has been produced,
The results obtained are known to
but a half-dozen scientists aside from
the experimenters, although 1T is
planned to make the whole discovery
public in the near future.
The physicians assert that through
their researches the human soul has
at last been catalogued upon scientific
principles as an actual, material thing,
just as the heart the, kidney, the
Il stomach and all organs of the body.
They declare they have ascertained
that when the soul fits from the body
Y it diminishes the weight of the body
/.
that this amount can be weighed in
actual pounds or fractions of pounds.
Every known test has been made
4 which would be in any way likely to
disprove the facts Instead of doing
this, each test has added to the con-
flrmation of results which were OBJ
tanned when the first experiment was
made.
Measured in Ounces.
The difference between the weight
of the live human body and the body
a moment after death, or when the
soul has quilted 1t, was found to be
from one-half ounce to one ounce, ana
TO this 1t is said there can be no Other
possible solution than that this Is tho
weight of thsl human soul.
In every .case .thG loss was shown
81 after all known scientific deductions
such as the loss of respiratory air, .
moisture and of all excretions an,
secretions of the body had been takcl
into consideration,
In order that the experimenting ply
0icians might accurately ascertain tina
this unaccountablc loss was not due t
some peculiar physical characteristic
OF sex, both men and women have bee
subjects OF the experiment.
In nearly all cases under test dimin
ishment took place upon. the instai
life ceased To exist, although in on
case there was a delay of nearly
@ ,uinute, believed 10 be duo to the slug
gishness OF that particular soul
realizing that it's physical letters hu
been broken.
Dying Patients on Scales.
#H The method Of finding this resu
I'm as followed by the doctors was
place the dying patients in bed upc
F3 one OF the platforms of scales ma,
ri expressly for the experiments, and the
to balance this weight by placing
equal weight on the opposite platrori
These scales We're so deiicatcly co
structed as to be sensitive to u weig
OF less than tenth of an ounce.
DIR, Duncan Macdougal Of Have
hill expressed surprise and annoyGn
@ when asked concerning the tests b
"a since a part OF the story had got o.
lie consented TO go somewhat into 4
tail, Or Macdougal believes neitl
in spiritpalisn nor mysterious psyc
phenomena, except ~ They can
8 dealt with by science, and he init
duccd his statement with the declul
tion that his experiments We're ms
M purely with the idea Of establish!
scientific facts
HDnring my practice among hosp
E@, patients and IN being present at
s5 bedside of mary dying patients my
sS8 N 1tosty was aroused as TO whether ii
might be some materiul change disc
cradle by actual tests which would In
a new light upon the mystery of
.$ flight of life he said.
HI ''When person xes the current
lief Is that his spirit or soul contif
5f1 10 live.
..My first thought was Has contiy
N consciousness and personal iudiyidui
any existencef Can ii exist in s.
as--nything: 1t is known ats ii for
az personality real and actual.
Impossible to think of II M not oce
1rg space II must 11r space occur
body. With Jhat granted The next q
3S6 was. .+
1Iias 1t weight? Was " grayi
mnttei or some other form of INK
s.$ deGnitiony Forthwith l began my
3# y pefimonis,
M "Four other physicians under mr.
recti0n made the first test upon Ii
6yiag With tuberculosis. THIS man