302 ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY. 



system included, and their saturation with debris, may claim 

 to be the immediate cause of death in all instances. 



If it be suggested that it would be better to define death 

 as the separation of the spirit from the body, the answer is 

 simply that the presence or absence of the spirit does not 

 immediately affect, as far as can be seen, the vitality of the 

 organism; and that physiology has no means to ascertain 

 the moment of the spirit's withdrawal. Hare, fortunately 

 exceedingly rare, cases have occurred of persons apparently 

 dead returning to life after days of pulseless trance. In. 

 these instances, the body remained, throughout the trance, fit 

 to resume its functions. This it cannot do where there is 

 decomposition. Thus, in the case of muscular fibre, we have 

 seen that even a very slight chemical change is incompatible 

 with vitality, as tested by electric instruments. Decom- 

 position is the infallible evidence of death. 



