Bringing the dead to Life.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 17, Issue 7, 27 January 1903, Page 5

Bringing the dead to Life.

A correspondent writes to a Sydney contemporary as under: —“ Reference has boon made to an Indiana doctor who brought hack to life animals and a human being who bad met their deaths by dr wning. “The reference to the method states that the d 1 ctor used a .‘••rime solution saturated with body oil, which is allowed to stand capped in an' atmosphere of free ammonia. From this a powder is derived, and it is this powder which contains the life-giving properties. “ Now, I should like to point out that a simpler method—one that is within (he reach of all, readily administered by any person, without a doctor’s help, without loss of time, and is inexpensive—is at every person’s hand. In a word, use common table salt. “ Take the animal, bird, Hies or insects, or human being, whoso death has occurred through drowning, and cover them all over with common table salt. In live minutes to half an hour they will bo restored to life. “In .1876, in Ban Fra cisco, two little children demonstrated to me, by experiment, that Hies that had boon previously drowned all night could bo brought back to life. This led to experiments on mice, rats, cats, and dogs, that?had purposely been drowned from one to four hours. They all came back to life.

“ In 1878 the experiment was again trioil,-: successfully. A Han Francisco lady had a friend who lost a valuable Newfoundland dog by drowning. An appeal was made to mo, and the experiment followed, three hours after the death of the dog. I t came back to life within 20 minutes. During that time it moaned and screamed piteously. When life really returned it growled, looked about, and acted as if mad, and then ran away. This experiment was repeated shortly after for the benefit of a medical friend. It proved successful. The # dog, however, like the previous one, seemed strange, and ran away. “ In Australia I have often experimented with the sarao successful results. But persons who have witnessed the experiments, both hero and in tho United States, have looked askance at mo. Every animal experimented on when lib; actually returned, seemed by their actions to bo strange; as if a different and loss intelligent spirit, possessed them, in fact, «

uio;lical friend who Imcl witnessed some of the experiments advised me never to try them upon a human being. Ho led me to understand that when a person was drowned it was better for all mankind that lie or she remained dead.

“ One. Sydney medico, to whom I recently related the experiment:-, tried .some of the minor ones, and says he was successful. I know it is Hard to convince people of this matter through a newspaper without supported testimony or public demonstration. But I ask them to experiment themselves, and they will ho pleasingly surprised, if they pi'oco das follows Catch flies, any sort; don’t hurt them. Drown them in water. Leave them in the water all night. In the morning, or any time before lunch, take the flies out of the water, lay them on a table and cover them with table salt. Watch the salt. It will get damp ; it will swell and crack; and out walk the Hies; they will look round, then fly away full of life. “ I have never experimented upon a drowned person. Nevertheless ,it should he tried in the interests of science. For I am fully convinced that a human being can be restored to life by salt when all other means have failed. “ The experiment should be undertaken by some public body—say the Board of Health, medical men, officers of ships, and water police. I should very much like to see the experiment tried, when the opportunity offers. It costs but a few shillings for salt. Yet in the experiment, crude as it is, may be the germ of a great basic principle for saving and preserving life, which, if taken in hand by learned men, may evolve great results.”