The Washington times., 1918-09-01
tn: y
Tragic
Mystery
of Suspended
Animation NJ
Which Closed So y
Dramatically the
Career. of the

-HE tragedy of poor Anna Held's
death has not ceased to excite the
i interest of many thousands OF
people. Even before her end it was widely
remarked as very strange that one who
had contributed more than any other
actress, perhaps, to the gayest form OF
theatrical entertainment should close her
career in the prime of life by peculiarly
mysterious and agonizing disease.
The nature of Anna Held's last illness
proved an enigma to more than score OF
physicians. After several guesses had
been made and abandoned it was accepted
for several months that she was suffering
from multiple myelona, very rare anec'
ton of the marrow of the bones, of which
only fifty-two cases have been recorded.
Then. in the last few weeks before her
death. it was seriously questioned whether
this diagnosis was correct.
In addition to all this uncertainty about
the nature of her illness. Anna Held pre-
scented in her last hours case OF "sus-
pended animation" that mysterious condi-
ton which has proved an inexphcaole
puzzle to physicians, and scientists, and has
caused terror and Anguish to countless per-
SONS. who have feared burial alive for
themselves or their loved ones while In
the apparently lffeless state.
The reports tell US that Anna Held had
been in a semi-conscious condition tor
fbout a week. At five minutes OF 1our
o'clock in the afternoon the dying actresses
watching daughter saw that her mothers
breath had suddenly stopped. She called
the attention of the attending physician
DIR. E. M. Overton, who declared that Anna
Held was dead.
The news was sent out to the news
.nsners and to many persons interested
FOR nearly two hours, 1t is said, the con-
dition continued. Then the watchers
mourning by the bedside of the dead"
were amazed to see her breathe once more
"Her eyes were open wide, her bosom
slowly rose and fell as she breathed again
Her cheeks flushed with color
The physician pronounced Anna Held
alive. correction was flashed out TO
those who had received the earlier an
breathing stopped again and all the signs
of death returned The attendants watched
for hours, hoping that there might be signs
of life but this time the physician decided
that real death had come
That suspended animation" really oc-
ours there can be little question. Sclen-
fists differ as to the nature of the con-
dition. Some believe that there may be a
real suspension of the vital functions,
while others assert that these functions
breathing, heart action, circulation, etc
are in a state of extremely low activity
which is difficult to perceive.
We know that fish live frequently
throughout the Winter enclosed in a block
of ice. in which it seems breathing must be
impossible. Frogs and reptiles are often
found alive after being enclosed in ice, in
mud in the interior of trees and, II Is
even asserted, within stones.
So many reputable witnesses have de-
clared the Hindu fakirs have the power OF
voluntarily putting themselves in state
of suspended animation that the fact can
hardly be questioned. The Hindu. wishing
to pass into this condition, composes hlm-
self into very calm and impasslve state.
His friends then turn his tongue back into
his throat. stop his nose and ears with
wax and perform certain other acts for
him.
After this the subject can exist without
food, water or air, and remain apparently
lifeless for many months, and can even be
buried beneath the earth At the end OF
a certain time his friends revive him, and
he is as much alive as ever. This strange
system has been made the subject of many
romantic stories. In Robert Louis Steven
sons Master of Ballantrae," the villain.
finding escape from his mortal enemies im-'
possible resorted to the Hindu method OF
burying himself alive. A mistake was
made in the resuscitation, however, and
the Master died q horrible death.
DR.. j. Brindley James, Of London, dis
cussing many cases Of suspended anima-
tion, writes:
"In the Medical Times a distinguished
British general reported that he had seen
a fakir disinterred from a grave wherein
he had been placed fortytwo days before,