Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-03-12
FIX SOUL WEIGHT
Boston Doctors Who Weigh
Dying Patients Develop In
teresting Facts
SOUL WEIGHS HALF. AN OUNCE
Full Minute EIapses Before Balance
Announces Flight of Spirit Form
Phleematic Man-ResuIt startles
Esperimenters = General News of
Interest.


sachusetts physicians Of the highest
professional standing have just at
tanned what they believe To be de-
cisive results In scientific 4nVesu-
CATION to determine the existence OF
non-existence of soul in the human
body. and to determine also 'wheIhei
flight of life is attended by any mani
festation of a nature that can be maze
evident to material senses
The Investigations. which EXTENDED
over a period of about six years. were
, conducted in sanitarium. Inc re-
suits obtained, according to DR.. Dun
can MacDougal of Haverhill, one or the
physicians who undertook the investi-
CATION. show that when the soul MUS
from the body it 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 ar OF
moisture, and of all excretiors and Sc
cretions of the body had been taken IN
TO consideration.
The method of finding this result as
followed by the doctors, was 10 place
diving patients in bed upon one OF the
platforms of a pair of scales made ex-
pressly for the experiments. THESE
scales We're so delicately constructed
as TO be sensitive to weight of less than
one tenth of an ounce.
The greatest secrecy has been mann
tanned in conducting these experiments
1t being the desire of DR.. Duncan Mac
Dougal and his associates to give nc
publicity to the facts until they were
established beyond doubt. DIR. Mac
Dougal was surprised that news OF the
experiments had leaked out. but reluc-
tantly consented today to an Interview
on the subject.
"During my practice among hospita
patients.' he said, and In being pres
ent at the bedside of many lying pa
tents. my curiosity was aroused as te
whether there might be SOME materia
change discoverable by actual tests
which would throw scientific light upon
the mystery of the fight of life.
"When a person dies. the current be-
lief is that his spirit or soul continues
to live. MY first thought was. Has
continued consciousness and personal
jpdividualism an existence? Can it ex-
ist in space as nothing? Tt is known
actual. 1t is impossible to think of it
as not occupying space. With that
granted, the next query wasj Has it
weight? Forthwith began my expert
ments.
-Four other physicians under my di-
rection made the first test upon pa
tient dying with tuberculosis. This
man was one of the ordinary type of
usual American temperament. We
placed him few hours preceding
death upon the scale platform, which
/ had constructed and which was ac-
curately balanced -Four hours later,
with five doctors in attendance, he died.
"The instant life ceased the opposite
scale pan fell with a suddenness that
was astonishing-as if something had
been suddenly lifted from his body.
Immediately all usual deductions were
made for physical loss of weight, and
1T was discovered there was still a full
ounce of weight unaccounted for.
"My fellow physicians were nystif1ed
and only half convinced. I myself had
grave doubts that our calculations were
correct otherwise how was it posi-
bile to account for the strange loss.
There was no known scientific manner
of doing So