Another World: Fragments from the Star City of MontalluyahLumley, Benjamin
Science
Another World: Fragments from the Star City of Montalluyah
Lumley, Benjamin
Utopias
The preparations previously used, though very serviceable, did not
fulfil all requisites, and they so seriously suspended the vital action,
that the patient often died in consequence. By means of the
"pain-luller" vivisection and the most difficult surgical operations can
be performed safely and painlessly, without any part of the system being
affected by the action of the "pain-luller," with the exception of the
nerves of sensation. We knew that the feeling of pain in animals depends
on the action of a particular set of nerves. When this pain-lulling
electricity is introduced into body, it is attracted to the nerves of
sensation, and the sense of feeling remains suspended during several
hours, whilst the other nerves and muscles--as, indeed, all the rest of
the organization--continue to perform their functions as in their normal
state.
VIVISECTION.
In vivisection the animal's eyes are bandaged, so that he does not even
know what is going on, but is free from pain, whilst all the springs of
action, with the one exception, remain in their normal state. This would
not be the case if the animal suffered from acute pain and terror during
the operation. The continued energy of the functions is thought
essential to the complete success of the operation, whether on the human
frame or in vivisection.
HOW DISCOVERED.
The efficacy of the "pain-luller" was discovered by an accident. A
little girl carrying a pet Nebo was knocked down, and the wheel of a
chariot passed over her legs. In a convulsive effort to save her pet,
the child pressed it to her bosom with so much force that she broke, the
bird's skin. When the people ran to her assistance, and lifted her up,
they found that both her legs were broken. To the surprise of all, she
did not cry, but only asked to be taken to her mother, and continued to
press the bird to her breast. From kindness, those near wished to take
away the bird, but the girl would not loose her hold.
The doctors were astonished; for the severity of the fractures would
ordinarily have caused acute pain, more particularly during the setting
of the bones. The child, however, though quite conscious of what was
passing, did not suffer in the least, but continued to pet her little
bird.
After many experiments, my scientific men found that this entire absence
of pain was due to the Nebo's electricity, which had escaped by the
breaking of its skin. This electricity, attracted by the nerves of
sensation, had entered the child's body when she pressed the pet
convulsively to her bosom, the seat of great sensibility. The
electricity only suspended the sense of feeling, but did not affect any
other part of the child's system.
XIII.
THE MICROSCOPE.
CONCENTRATED LIGHT--MUSIC--EXPERIMENT ON
THE LIVING MAN.
"The same Almighty Power that governs the universe of worlds
governs the minutest particles of creation....In both is shown His
infinite power."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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