Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 31.djvu/701

Rh convinced that many of his soldiers had been buried alive, and he offered a large reward for the surest means of distinguishing between this trance-like condition and actual death. The prize was awarded to Professor Andral, who claimed that listening to the heart-sounds by means of the stethoscope was the surest way of ascertaining whether death had taken place or not, because with this instrument could still be heard the movement of the heart-valves, when by all other tests one could no longer detect any sign of life. Napoleon's prize might, however, well have been awarded to Professor Middeldorf, of Breslau, who with his akidopeirastic (needle-test) was able to detect signs of life some time after the sound caused by the movement of the heart-valves had ceased to be audible with Andral's stethoscope.

Up to the present day this method is the most reliable one for ascertaining whether death has occurred or not. It is surer than the cutting of the sole, the burning with sealing-wax, or any other test. A long needle is thrust (between the fifth and sixth ribs) into the heart, a proceeding that is not at all dangerous, provided that the needle does not enter below a certain depth. The needle must be of such length that about one half of it projects from the chest; the slightest movement of the heart will cause that part of the needle which is visible to vibrate.

But no one need fear that those soldiers of Napoleon who were thus buried alive ever awakened in their graves. As surely as there can be no question but that by careful treatment quite a number of them could have been saved, just as confidently can it be asserted that their numbness, provided no careful attempts were made to restore them to life, resulted in actual death. Unfortunately, it has not yet been ascertained how long this trance-like condition may last with the frozen—whether five or six days (many such cases are known), or whether it may not continue even longer.

We have already, at the beginning, referred to the danger of an incautious warming of the frozen. If the warming be accomplished too quickly, a sudden reaction will set in, which the patient will not be able to survive. Blood which has been frozen and then thawed is still red, but of a different shade. The coloring matter of the blood has become separated from the blood-cells. Blood of this description causes congelation in blood which is in its normal state. One can kill an animal in sound health by injecting such blood into its veins. But the process takes a different turn in cases where the frozen are gradually warmed and restored. If a very minute quantity of the frozen blood is again brought into solution and sent into the system, this small amount of poison will be taken care of. This is the reason why, in all attempts at revivifying persons who have been frozen, the warming and the restoring of the juices to their normal condition must be gradually done. The best way is to lay the patient into snow, to rub him with snow (which should be renewed several times), and then to