life, without death having
supervened, and without the possibility of returning to activity having
departed. His life was suspended, not extinguished.

Each time that a surplus of watery vapor caused the barometer to ascend,
I pumped. On the 14th, the door of my laboratory was literally broken in
by the Russian General, Count Trollohub, who had been sent from
headquarters. This distinguished officer had run in all haste to
prevent the execution of the colonel and to conduct him into the
presence of the Commander in Chief. I loyally confessed to him what I
had done under the inspiration of my conscience; I showed him the body
through one of the bull's-eyes of the air-pump; I told him that I was
happy to have preserved a man who could furnish useful information to
the liberators of my country; and I offered to resuscitate him at my own
expense if they would promise me to respect his life and liberty. The
General, Count Trollohub, unquestionably a distinguished man, but one of
an exclusively military education, thought that I was not speaking
seriously. He went out slamming the door in my face, and treating me
like an old fool.

I set myself to pumping again, and kept the vacuum at a pressure of from
three to five millimetres for the space of three months. I knew by
experience that animals can revive after being submitted to a dry vacuum
and cold for eighty days.

On the 12th of February 1814, having observed that for a month no
modification had taken place in the shrinking of the flesh, I resolved
to submit the Colonel to another series of operations, in order to
insure more perfect preservation by complete desiccation. I let the air
re-enter by the stop-cock arranged for the purpose, and, after raising
the receiver, proceeded at once to my experiment.

The body did not weigh more than forty-six pounds; I had then reduced it
nearly to a third of its original weight. It should be borne in mind
that the clothing had not lost as much water as the other parts. Now the
human body contains nearly four-fifths of its own weight of water, as is
proved by a desiccation thoroughly made in a chemical drying furnace.

I accordingly placed the Colonel on a tray, and, after sliding it into
my great furnace, gradually raised the temperature to 75 degrees,
centigrade. I did not dare to go beyond this heat, from fear of altering
the albumen and rendering it insoluble, and also of taking away from the
tissues the capacity of reabsorbin