WHY DO SFEIiVGS AND WELLS OVERFLOW? 397 



alive ! Bruhier's story is, in fact, the confession of Wenzel. It is the 

 story of a patient describing his horror on finding himself a dead man; 

 and, without much confusion of terms, it might fairly be called the 

 " Confessions of a Corpse." Dr. Gandolfi asserts that many such cases 

 have been recorded in various parts of Europe, and that in most in- 

 stances the cases have been "proved and authenticated." Gandolfi is 

 an authority ; and all persons of a quibbling or skeptical nature would 

 do well to consider the matter thoroughly before condemning his evi- 

 dence. 



But it is needless to prolong the list of examples. Enough has 

 been said to show the wickedness of hasty funerals, and the necessity 

 of establishing a proper system of tests. But these tests, so long ex- 

 pected, are not forthcoming. Many physicians are, indeed, of opinion 

 that no such system is obtainable in the present state of medical science. 

 There are, they affirm, a great many ways of proving death, if suffi- 

 cient time allowed be for experiments ; but during the experiments, or 

 before the experiments have begun, the supposed corpse may, they 

 declare, pass from apparent to real death, and thus, without sign or 

 warning, frustrate all inquiry. Celebrated physicians can not be at 

 the death-beds of all sick persons. The poor, and even the rich, must 

 oftentimes content themselves with the services of doctors who are not 

 famous either for learning or intuition ; and the medicines and appli- 

 ances by which distinguished physicians might succeed in testing the 

 existence of life, in persons suffering from ti'ance, would, in the case 

 of poor people, cost too much ; and no one is willing to guarantee their 

 final success. For it is important to bear this point in mind : it is 

 one thing to certify that a " corpse " is not really dead ; it is another 

 thing to revive that corpse after the inner life — latent and slow to as- 

 sert itself — has been properly recognized. No ; what is wanted is a 

 sitnple test, and not a complicated test, or a complicated series of tests, 

 which would be out of the reach of the poor, and beyond the power of 

 inexperienced or badly-paid doctors. Let us have that test as soon 

 as possible ! No doctor deems it an impossibility. It is a matter of 

 difficulty, and that is all. But difficulties as great as, or greater than, 

 this have been mastered over and over again by modern science. 

 — Belgravia. 



WHY DO SPEINGS AND WELLS OYEEFLOW? 



By JOSEPH J. SKINKER, Ph. D. 



THE commonly accepted answer to the above question is that the 

 water of springs and of flowing wells is forced out by the pres- 

 sure of other water at some higher level, this pressure being transmit- 

 ted to the water of the spring or well through continuous underground 



