1058 OF DEATH. 



times so complete that the heart's action cannot be perceived, nor any respira- 

 tory movements be observed, all consciousness and power of movement being at 

 the same time abolished ; and yet recovery has spontaneously taken place, which 

 could scarcely be the case, however, if all vital action had been suspended. It is 

 not a little remarkable that certain individuals have possessed the power of volun- 

 tarily inducing this condition. The best authenticated case of this kind is that 

 of Col. Townsend, which was described by Dr. George Cheyne, 1 who was himself 

 the witness of the fact. But statements have been recently made respecting 

 the performances of certain Indian Fakeers, which are far more extraordinary; 

 it being demonstrated, if these assertions ar6 to be credited, 3 that the Human 

 organism may not only be voluntarily reduced to a state resembling profound 

 collapse, in which there appear to be a nearly complete suspension of all its vital 

 operations, but may continue in that condition for some days or even weeks 

 until, in fact, means are taken to produce resuscitation. Another form of Ap- 

 parent Death, the existence of which appears to be well authenticated, is that 

 sometimes designated as "Trance" or " Catalepsy," in which there is a reduction 

 of all the Organic Functions to an extremely low ebb, but in which Conscious- 

 ness is still preserved, whilst the power of voluntary movement is suspended; 

 so that the patient, though fully aware of all that is being said and done around, 

 is unable to make the least visible or audible sign of life. 3 It is impossible, in 

 the present state of our knowledge, to give any satisfactory account of these 

 states ; but some light appears to be thrown upon them by certain phenomena 

 of Artificial Somnambulism, " hypnotic" or " mesmeric" ( 827) ; for in this 

 condition there is sometimes an extraordinary retardation of the respiratory 

 movements and of the pulsations of the heart, which, if carried further, would 

 produce a state of complete collapse ; and its self-induction is suspected by 

 Mr. Braid to be the secret of the performance of the Indian Fakeers just re- 

 ferred to. 



1069. The signs by which real is certainly distinguishable from apparent Death 

 are not numerous, a large proportion of those commonly relied on being fallacious; 

 but they are conclusive. In the first place, it is to be remarked that no reliance 

 is to be placed, for the reasons already mentioned, upon the apparent cessation of 

 the heart's action, and of the respiratory movements; since the reduction of these 



1 See his "Treatise on Nervous Diseases," p. 307. 



2 See a collection of these cases, directly obtained from British officers who had been 

 eye-witnesses of them in India, by Mr. Braid, in his " Observations on Trance, or Human 

 Hybernation," 1850. In one of these, vouched for by Sir Claude M. Wade, formerly poli- 

 tical agent at the Court of Runjeet Singh, the Fakeer was buried in an underground cell, 

 under strict guardianship, for six weeks ; the body had been twice dug up by Runjeet Singh 

 during the period of interment, and had been found in the same position as when first 

 buried. In another case, narrated by Lieut. A. Boileau, in his " Narrative of a Journey in 

 Rajwarra, in 1835," the man had been buried for ten days in a grave lined with masonry 

 and covered with large slabs of stone, and strictly guarded ; and he assured Lieut. B. that 

 he was ready to submit to an interment of a twelve months' duration, if desired. In a 

 third case, narrated by Mr. Braid, the trial was made under the direct superintendence of 

 a British Officer, a period of nine days having been stipulated for on the part of the devotee ; 

 but this was shortened to three at the desire of the Officer, who feared lest he should incur 

 blame if the result was fatal. The appearance of the body when first disinterred is de- 

 scribed in all instances as having been quite corpse-like, and no pulsation could be detected 

 at the heart or in the arteries ; the means of restoration employed were chiefly warmth 

 to the vertex and friction to the body and limbs. It may be remarked that the possibility 

 of the protraction of such a state (supposing that no deception vitiates the authenticity 

 of the narratives referred to) can be much better comprehended as occurring in India, 

 than as taking place in this country ; since the warmth of the tropical atmosphere and 

 soil would prevent any serious loss of heat, such as must soon occur in a colder climate 

 when the processes whereby it is generated are brought to a stand. 



8 Several such cases are recorded in Dr. H. Mayors "Letters on the Truths contained 

 in Popular Superstitions," and also by Mr. Braid, Op. cit. 



