anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第129部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


at　are　on　record　of　the　growth　of　beard　and　hair　after　death。

There　is　another　account　of　a　person　of　the　same　class　who　had　the　power　of　suspending　animation；　and　who　would　not　allow　his　coffin　to　touch　the　earth　for　fear　of　worms　and　insects；　from　which　he　is　said　to　have　suffered　at　a　previous　burial。

It　has　been　stated　that　the　fakirs　are　either　eunuchs　or　hermaphrodites；　social　outcasts；　having　nothing　in　common　with　the　women　or　men　of　their　neighborhood；　but　Honigberger　mentions　one　who　disproved　this　ridiculous　theory　by　eloping　to　the　mountains　with　his　neighbor's　wife。

Instances　of　recovery　after　asphyxia　from　hanging　are　to　be　found；　particularly　among　the　older　references　of　a　time　when　hanging　was　more　common　than　it　is　to…day。　Bartholinus；　Blegny；　Camerarius；　Morgagni；　Pechlin；　Schenck；　Stoll；　and　Wepfer　all　mention　recovery　after　hanging。　Forestus　describes　a　case　in　which　a　man　was　rescued　by　provoking　vomiting　with　vinegar；　pepper；　and　mustard　seed。　There　is　a　case　on　record　in　which　a　person　was　saved　after　hanging　nineteen　minutes。　There　was　a　case　of　a　man　brought　into　the　Hopital　Saint…Louis　asphyxiated　by　strangulation；　having　been　hung　for　some　time。　His　rectal　temperature　was　only　93。3　degrees　F。；　but　six　hours　after　it　rose　to　101。6　degrees　F。；　and　he　subsequently　recovered。　Taylor　cites　the　instance　of　a　stout　woman　of　forty…four　who　recovered　from　hanging。　When　the　woman　was　found　by　her　husband　she　was　hanging　from　the　top　of　a　door；　having　been　driven　to　suicide　on　account　of　his　abuse　and　intemperance。　When　first　seen　by　Taylor　she　was　comatose；　her　mouth　was　surrounded　by　white　froth；　and　the　swollen　tongue　protruded　from　it。　Her　face　was　bloated；　her　lips　of　a　darkened　hue；　and　her　neck　of　a　brown　parchment…color。　About　the　level　of　the　larynx；　the　epidermis　was　distinctly　abraded；　indicating　where　the　rope　had　been。　The　conjunctiva　was　insensible　and　there　was　no　contractile　response　of　the　pupil　to　the　light　of　a　candle。　The　reflexes　of　the　soles　of　the　feet　were　tested；　but　were　quite　in　abeyance。　There　was　no　respiratory　movement　and　only　slight　cardiac　pulsation。　After　vigorous　measures　the　woman　ultimately　recovered。　Recovery　is　quite　rare　when　the　asphyxiation　has　gone　so　far；　the　patients　generally　succumbing　shortly　after　being　cut　down　or　on　the　following　day。　Chevers　mentions　a　most　curious　case；　in　which　cerebral　congestion　from　the　asphyxiation　of　strangling　was　accidentally　relieved　by　an　additional　cut　across　the　throat。　The　patient　was　a　man　who　was　set　upon　by　a　band　of　Thugs　in　India。　who；　pursuant　to　their　usual　custom；　strangled　him　and　his　fellow…traveler。　Not　being　satisfied　that　he　was　quite　dead；　one　of　the　band　returned　and　made　several　gashes　across　his　throat。　This　latter　action　effectually　relieved　the　congestion　caused　by　the　strangulation　and　undoubtedly　saved　his　life；　while　his　unmutilated　companion　was　found　dead。　After　the　wounds　in　his　throat　had　healed　this　victim　of　the　Thugs　gave　such　a　good　description　of　the　murderous　band　that　their　apprehension　and　execution　soon　followed。

Premature　Burial。In　some　instances　simulation　of　death　has　been　so　exact　that　it　has　led　to　premature　interment。　There　are　many　such　cases　on　record；　and　it　is　a　popular　superstition　of　the　laity　that　all　the　gruesome　tales　are　true　of　persons　buried　alive　and　returning　to　life；　only　to　find　themselves　hopelessly　lost　in　a　narrow　coffin　many　feet　below　the　surface　of　the　earth。　Among　the　lower　classes　the　dread　of　being　buried　before　life　is　extinct　is　quite　generally　felt；　and　for　generations　the　medical　profession　have　been　denounced　for　their　inability　to　discover　an　infallible　sign　of　death。　Most　of　the　instances　on　record；　and　particularly　those　from　lay　journals；　are　vivid　exaggerations；　drawn　from　possibly　such　a　trivial　sign　as　a　corpse　found　with　the　fist　tightly　clenched　or　the　face　distorted；　which　are　the　inspiration　of　the　horrible　details　of　the　dying　struggles　of　the　person　in　the　coffin。　In　the　works　of　Fontenelle　there　are　46　cases　recorded　of　the　premature　interment　of　the　living；　in　which　apparent　has　been　mistaken　for　real　death。　None　of　these　cases；　however；　are　sufficiently　authentic　to　be　reliable。　Moreover；　in　all　modern　methods　of　burial；　even　if　life　were　not　extinct；　there　could　be　no　possibility　of　consciousness　or　of　struggling。　Absolute　asphyxiation　would　soon　follow　the　closing　of　the　coffin　lid。

We　must　admit；　however；　that　the　mistake　has　been　made；　particularly　in　instances　of　catalepsy　or　trance；　and　during　epidemics　of　malignant　fevers　or　plagues；　in　which　there　is　an　absolute　necessity　of　hasty　burial　for　the　prevention　of　contagion。　In　a　few　instances　on　the　battle…field　sudden　syncope；　or　apparent　death；　has　possibly　led　to　premature　interment；　but　in　the　present　day　this　is　surely　a　very　rare　occurrence。　There　is　also　a　danger　of　mistake　from　cases　of　asphyxiation；　drowning；　and　similar　sudden　suspensions　of　the　vital　functions。

It　is　said　that　in　the　eighty…fourth　Olympiad；　Empedocles　restored　to　life　a　woman　who　was　about　to　be　buried；　and　that　this　circumstance　induced　the　Greeks；　for　the　future　protection　of　the　supposed　dead；　to　establish　laws　which　enacted　that　no　person　should　be　interred　until　the　sixth　or　seventh　day。　But　even　this　extension　of　time　did　not　give　satisfaction；　and　we　read　that　when　Hephestion；　at　whose　funeral　obsequies　Alexander　the　Great　was　present；　was　to　be　buried　his　funeral　was　delayed　until　the　tenth　day。　There　is　also　a　legend　that　when　Acilius　Aviola　fell　a　victim　to　disease　he　was　burned　alive；　and　although　he　cried　out；　it　was　too　late　to　save　him；　as　the　fire　had　become　so　widespread　before　life　returned。

While　returning　to　his　country　house　Asclepiades；　a　physician　denominated　the　〃God　of　Physic；〃　and　said　to　have　been　a　descendant　of　aesculapius；　saw　during　the　time　of　Pompey　the　Great　a　crowd　of　mourners　about　to　start　a　fire　on　a　funeral　pile。　It　is　said　that　by　his　superior　knowledge　he　perceived　indications　of　life　in　the　corpse　and　ordered　the　pile　destroyed；　subsequently　restoring　the　supposed　deceased　to　life。　These　examples　and　several　others　of　a　similar　nature　induced　the　Romans　to　delay　their　funeral　rites；　and　laws　were　enacted　to　prevent　haste　in　burning；　as　well　as　in　interment。　It　was　not　until　the　eighth　day　that　the　final　rites　were　performed；　the　days　immediately　subsequent　to　death　having　their　own　special　ceremonies。　The　Turks　were　also　fearful　of　premature　interment　and　subjected　the　defunct　to　every　test；　among　others；　one　was　to　examine　the　contractility　of　the　sphincter　and；　which　shows　their　keen　observation　of　a　well…known　modern　medical　fact。

According　to　the　Memoirs　of　Amelot　de　la　Houssaye；　Cardinal　Espinola；　Prime　Minister　to　Philip　II；　put　his　hand　to　the　embalmer's　knife　with　which　he　was　about　to　be　opened；　It　is　said　that　Vesalius；　sometimes　called　the　〃Father　of　Anatomy；〃　having　been　sent　for　to　perform　an　autopsy　on　a　woman　subject　to　hysteric　convulsions；　and　who　was　supposed　to　be　dead；　on　making　the　first　incision　perceived　by　her　motion　and　cries　that　she　was　still　alive。　This　circumstance；　becoming　known；　rendered　him　so　odious　that　he　had　to　leave　the　community　in　which　he　practiced；　and　it　is　believed　that　he　never　entirely　recovered　from　the　shock　it　gave　him。　The　Abbe　Prevost；　so　well　known　by　his　works　and　the　singularities　of　his　life；　was　seized　by　apoplexy　in　the　Forest　of　Chantilly　on　October　23；　1763。　His　body　was　carried　to　the　nearest　village；　and　the　officers　of　justice　proceeded　to　open　it；　when　a　cry　he　sent　forth　frightened　all　the　assistants　and　convinced　the　surgeon　in　charge　that　the　Abbe　was　not　dead；　but　it　was　too　late　to　save　him；　as　he　had　already　received　a　mortal　wound。

Massien　speaks　of　a　woman　living　in　Cologne　in　1571　who　was　interred　living；　but　was　not　awakened　from　her　lethargy　until　a　grave…digger　opened　her　grave　to　steal　a　valuable　ring　which　she　wore。　This　instance　has　been　cited　in　nearly　every　language。　There　is　another　more　recent　instance；　coming　from　Poitiers；　of　the　wife　of　a　goldsmith　named　Mernache　who　was　buried　with　all　her　jewels。　During　the　night　a　beggar　attempted　to　steal　her　jewelry；　and　made　such　exertion　in　extracting　one　ring　that　the　woman　recovered　and　was　saved。　After　this　resurrection　she　is　said　to　have　had　several　children。　This　case　is　also　often　quoted。　Zacchias　mentions　an　instance　which；　from　all　appearances；　is　authentic。　It　was　that　of　a　young　man；　pest…stricken　and　thought　to　be　dead；　who　was　placed　with　the　other　dead　for　burial。　He　exhibited　signs　of　life；　and　was　taken　back　to　the　pest…hospital。　Two　days　later　he　entered　a　lethargic　condition　simulating　death；　and　was　again　on　his　way　to　the　sepulcher；　when　he　once　more　recovered。

It　is　said　that　when　the　body　of　William；　Earl　of　Pembroke；　who　died　April　10；　1630；　was　opened　to　be　embalmed；　the　hand　raised　when　the　first　incision　was　made。　There　is　a　story　of　an　occurrence　which　happened　on　a　return　voyage　from　India。　The　wife　of　one　of　the　passengers；　an　officer　in　the　army；　to　all　appearances　died。　They　were　about　to　resort　to　sea…burial；　when；　through　the　interposition　of　the　husband；　who　was　anxious　to　take　her　home；　the　ship…carpenters　started　to　construct　a　coffin　suitable　for　a　long　voyage；　a　process　which　took　several　days；　during　which　time　she　lay　in　her　berth；　swathed　in　robes　and　ready　for　interment。　When　the　coffin　was　at　last　ready　the　husband　went　to　take　his　last　farewell；　and　removed　the　wedding…ring；　which　was　quite　tightly　on　her　finger。　In　the　effort　to　do　this　she　was　aroused；　recovered；　and　arrived　in　England　perfectly　well。

It　is　said　that　when　a　daughter　of　Henry　Laurens；　the　first　President　of　the　American　Congress；　died　of　small…pox；　she　was　laid　out　as　dead；　and　the　windows　of　the　room　were　opened　for　ventilation。　While　left　alone　in　this　manner　she　recovered。　This　circumstance　so　impressed　her　illustrious　father　that　he　left　explicit　directions　that　in　case　of　his　death　he　should　be　burned。　The　same　journal　also　contains　the　case　of　a　maid…servant　who　recovered　thrice　on　her　way　to　the　grave；　and　who；　when　really　dead；　was　kept　a　preposterous　length　of　time　before　burial。

The　literature　on　this　subjec