Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1912-07-12
BY F. A. mitchell

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Near the middle OF the nineteenth
century an ingenious Frenehman wrote
a story based on the idea that the liv-
ing human body by process Of ex-
haustion Of its moisture called desic-
cation could be kept as mummy for
an unlimited period aud by the reIntro-
duction Of water could be terminated.
This literary production was consid.
cred by the people Of that age to be
very ingenious and highly imaginative
There was no pretense on the part Of
the author that the idea on which It
was built was or ever would be posi-
bic, nor was It taken seriously by the
public.
The coming Of the twentieth century
marked the beginning of a new scien-
tiiic era. For a hundred years men
had been discovering that they could
talk to each other from different parts
Of the globe; that disease was nothing
more or less than the work Of inf
niteiy small germs and hundreds OF
other TO them-marvelous processes Of
nature. These discoveries were mostly
accidental But about the year 1900
rich men began to found institutions
with view to making regular prog
ress.
One Of the most important subjects
studied by these institutions has been
the human body and that mysterious
life process which is born with 1t and
grows as it grows. In the year 1912
scientists began to experiment, among
other things. on the animal heart and
found that portions of it removed from
the body and cultivated in hyptonic
plasma would pulsate for several
months. This changed the conditions
under which the animal might be pro-
nounced dead 1t was also about this
time that scientists laid down two
causes Of bodily death or corruption
the action Of microbes and self diges-
tion. From this scientific fact natural.
ly followed the axiom-exclude the
microbes. exhaust the water and there
can be no death
A hundred years have interviewed be-
tween a knowledge of this fact and its
being put In practice That which 100
years ago was the basis of an imagi-
native extravaganza has today become
the subject OF an actual occurrence.
1t appears that about the middle Of
the twentieth century there lived in
Chicago, then a small city of not more
than four or FIVE millions of people.
meat preserver named Swartz, whose
son Adrian chose. rather than follow
in the footsteps Of his father, to de-
vote himself to scientific research. Be
ing heir TO couple of billion dollars.
or 1000 wealth units-the people Of
that day had not been driven by vast
accumulations to our present system
OF typifying fortunes-he was not pre-
vented from following unremunerative
tastes by poverty.
This Adrian Swartz loved a beauti-
ful girl whose name appears on the
records MS Niuriel Anderson. Profess
sor Swartz worked on his own lines.
in his own laboratory. keeping his In
vestigations profound secret. What
he was doing has only come to light
fifty years after he was engaged in
his work. He was absorbed in two
thlngs-hls investigations with view
to perpetuating the life principle and
Miss Muriel Anderson.
II was then known that different
parts Of the body may be taken from
a person who has recently been pro
nouneed dead by the old standard and
preserved in cold storage vaults for
an indefinite period. The young pro-
fessor was able to start on his inyestl-
cations with a knowledge of this and
other facts, Knowing that corruption
may be kept out by excluding mi
crobes and water, he devoted himself
to the discovery of a process by which,
after having Kept them out, the water
might be reintroduced at later date
without admitting the microbes.
That the breathing process may be
suspended without producing corrup-
ton was also known to Professor
Swartz, and this was a very important
point. The main problem before him
was not how TO keep out corruption,
but to restore animation.
Miss Muriel Anderson was taken Ill
and died. Her lovers grief was so
great that for a time it was feared
that he would lose his reason. There
was no evidence that the body was not
disposed Of by burial. which was the
usual method in those days. After the
girls death Swartz was observed to
pursue his investigations with still
more eagerness than before. Indeed,
his relatives feared that he would go
insane on the subject of perpetuating
life.
There are traditions that a dog be
longing to one Of his friends died and
ten years later appeared at his mas
ter's door and showed great delight at
the reunion 1t was whispered that
the dog had been terminated by the
young professor. There was a similar
story about cat. but unscientific per
sons claimed there was nothing re-
markable in bringing back a cat TO
life except for the tenth time. These
matters are mentioned here TO show
that It was supposed Professor Swartz
was reported to have achieved some
success in his work.
Recently thefe was cosnmofion In
the Institution For Scientific Research,
located in this city. Doctors and pro-
fessors have been seen 10 be consult.