The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-04-29
RAISE THE DEAD.
Machine That Restores Lite "
the Vital Spark
SEEMS ALMOST GONE.

NeutraI1ZeS ALI Poisons-A Rabbit
and a Dog Pronounced Dead Lean
from the Table After Use Of the
Respirator on Them.
1t was announced some time ago
that Professor George Poe, of Nor
folk, Va, had invented an artificial
r%espirator machine" that would raise
the dead. There has just. been COM
pleted at Norfolk by Professor Poe
and several inquiring scientists a SER
les of amazing successful experiment
with the little continuance which me-
chemically puts oxygen, the breath of
life, into inert lungs.
Those who witnessed the tests are
firmly convinced that thousands of
lives may be saved by the "brass
heart" which is what Poe's machine
practically is. 1t will be especially
valuable in cases of suspended anima-
ton caused by drowning, by gas as
p~hyxiation in mines, and by coma
resultant upon typhoid fever and 9TH
er diseases.
Professor Poe, by letting the o n
trivance force upon him inhalation
nd exha1ation of oxygen, was enabled
to stop breathing for ten minutes.
Animals, declared dead beyond all
doubt by the visiting physicians, were
revived in a few minutes and were
able to scamper out of the operating
room.
Practically, though not literally,
Of course, the artificial respiration
machine brought the dead to life and
the experts say it will work equally
well on human beings.
Professor Poe's machine is built as
near as possible along the lines Of
the human heart. 1t is about eish-
teen inches in height, with two CYL
inders-correspondng to the ventrf-
Giles and auricles of the heart-and
inlet and outlet, valves. Double
tubes enter the larynx and nostrils
of the patient. ...,
Roughly, the continuance resem-
bles a bicycle pump. While one set
Of tubes draws off the poisonous
fluids and gases from the lungs, the
other set forces in the life giving
oxygen.
The first experiment was upon
Socrates" a pet rabbit on the Poe
farm. 1t was given two grains of
morphine, enought to kill a man.
Then Immediately four ounces Of
ether we're administered. The physi-
clans pronounced the rabbit dead, af-
ter all ordinary res~toratire5 failed.
The machine was then applied and
within three minutes the effects OF
the poison and anesthetic were irawn
off, and Socrates jumped from the
table and hoped away. A large deg
was then killed and brought back to
life again within five minutes,
The doctors present realized then
that many of the evil and after effects
Of anesthesia could be done away with
by the machine. And there dawned
upon them another side Of lis value,
which had rather a humorous aspect.
Intoxication, it was found, could be
cured in a few minutes
This experiment was actually made.
The machine was applied to a hilar-
iously drunken man, drew OF the
poisonous alcoholic fumes and he
Strengthened out in three minutes.
Since then, it has been said, Professor
Poe has been approached with a prop
osition to manufacture pocket re-
~spirators for this purpose.
Infant asphysia, that dread accom-
paniment of birth, which stiles many
a life before it has fairly started to
exist, may also be wiped out by the
respirator. DR.. J. P. Jackson and
Professor Poe, with a miniature ma
chine, saved the life Of a baby at
Berkeley last week. The machine did
the breathing for the child until IL
was able to strike out for itself.
Throughout the Virginia country
folks regard Professor Poe as a mod
ern miracle-worker. Despite his per-
sistent declarations that his Invention
is merely an aid to life after 1t has
fled, the country people call him the
raiser of the dead
Many persons have written to Pos
asking him to try and restore life
to relatives who have been dead for
weeks, months and even We ars. He
is engaged now in manufacturing sew
eral respirators which will be tested
in the leading hospitals of the