Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-03-16
HUMAN SOUL HAS
WEIGHT SAY DOCTORS
-Four Physicians Claim it Tx.
lists They've Catalogued it
Like Liver and Heart,

That the human soul does exist is
the conclusion Of some Massachusetts
physicians. Drs. Duncan MacDougall
and Syroul, Of Haverhlll and Dir.
Trout oil Lawrence. who for six years
nave been conducting remarkable
series of experiments. undertaken
with the object of demonstrating from
physical standpoint whether or not
there Is such II thing. The expert.
ments were carried on in sanitarium
In this State and have been secretly
guarded until an actual result could
be shown. Now, it is believed that
something decisive has been produc-
ed
The results obtained are known to
but half dozen scientists aside from
the eXperimenters. although il 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 cataloguel upon scientific
principles as an actual, material
thing. just MS the heart, the kidneys.
the stomach and all organs of the
body. They declare they have ascer-
tanned that when the soul fits from
the body ii diminishes the weight of
the body by centain measurable
amount, and that this amount can be
weighed in actual pounds or fractions
of pounds.
Every known test has been made
which would be In any way likely to
disprove the facts. Instead of doing
this, each test has added to the con
firmation of results which were OBJ
tanned when the first experiment was
made.
Measured in Ounces.
The difference between the weight
of the live human Eady and the body
q moment after death, or when the
soul has quilted it, was found to be
from one-half ounce to one ounce and
TO this II is said there can he no
other possible solution than that this
is the weight of the human soul.
In every case the loss was shown
after all known scientific deductions,
such as the loss respiratory mir, of
moisture and of all eXcrctions and Sc
eretions of the body mad been taken
into consideration.
In order that the experimenting
physicians might accurately ascertain
that this unaccountable loss was not
due to some peculiar physical char
actcristic of sex, both men and women
have been subjects of the experiment,
In nearly all cases under test di.
took place upon the IN
slant life censed to exist. although
in one case there was delay of near
ly minute, believed to be due to
the sluggishness of that particular
soul in realizing that its physical fet-
ters had been broken.
Dying Patients on Scales.
The method Of finding this result
as followed by the doctors was to
place the dying patients in bed upon
one OF the platforms of scales made
expressly for the experiments and
then to balance this weight by plac-
ing an equal weight on the opposite
platform.
These scales. we're. SO delicately con-
strncted as TO be sensitive to weight
of less than one-tenth of All ounce.
DR.. Duncan MacDougall, of Haver-
hill, expressed surprise and annoy
ance when asked concerning the
tests, but since II part of the story
had got out he consented to go some
what into detail. DR.. MacDougall be-
lieves neither IN Spiritualism nor mys-
FERROUS psychic phenomena, except as
they can be dealt with by science,
and he introduced his statement with
the declaration that his experiments
We're made purely with the idea of
scientific facts.
During my practice among hospital
patients and in being present at the
bedside Of many dying patients my
was aroused as to whether
there might be some material change
discoyerable by actual tests which
would throw new light upon the
mystery of the flight of life," he said,
When person dies the current be-
lief Is that his spirit or soul continues
to live.
my first thought was:-Has con-
tinued consciousness and personal in
any existences II Is known
as a force-as a personality real and
actual. 1t is impossible to think of
it as not occupying space. 1t must
be space occupying body. With that
granted the next query was
Has II weighti Was it grayitated
matter or some other form of I'M
known definitions Forthwith began
my experiments.
-Four other physicians under my
direction made the first test upon a
patient dying with tuberculosis. This
man was one of the ordinary type OF
the usual American temperament