Robert E. Cornish, the Biologist Who Wanted to Bring Dead Dogs Back to Life And Then Wanted To Do The Same To Humans
Dr Robert E. Cornish remains a fascinating yet often overlooked figure in the annals of American science, where his work traversed the lines between brilliant innovation and controversial exploration. Born in the early 20th century, Cornish was a biologist whose scientific curiosity and determination led him to conduct resuscitation experiments that would later bring him brief fame. His story, however, is not one of unqualified success, but rather one of an ambitious, often eccentric pursuit of scientific progress that culminated in both startling breakthroughs and ethical roadblocks.
Early Life and Academic Brilliance
Born in 1903, Robert E. Cornish was recognised as a child prodigy from a young age. His remarkable intellect propelled him through school at an impressive pace, culminating in his enrolment at the prestigious University of California, Berkeley. Cornish’s academic prowess was unmatched. He graduated with honours by the time he was 18, and by the age of 22, he had completed a doctorate, a feat few could imagine, let alone accomplish in such a short period. His early success positioned him as a promising figure in the scientific community, yet Cornish was no ordinary biologist.
From the outset of his career, Cornish displayed an innovative spirit that often pushed the boundaries of conventional science. One of his early projects involved creating a method for reading newspapers underwater, an invention that showcased his unique approach to problem-solving. By developing special lenses, he allowed users to read in submerged environments, reflecting his tendency to tackle both practical and seemingly trivial problems with scientific rigour.
A Shift Toward Resuscitation Experiments
Despite these early achievements, it was in 1932 that Cornish’s career took a radical turn towards resuscitation experiments—a path that would define his legacy. The idea that the dead could be brought back to life was not entirely new, with many in the scientific community toying with the concept, but Cornish’s approach was systematic and grounded in biological principles. He hypothesised that with the right combination of mechanical motion and chemical intervention, life could be restored to the recently deceased.
Cornish’s method was centred around a see-saw-like device known as a teeterboard. This apparatus was designed to induce artificial circulation in a recently deceased body. The movement of the teeterboard would simulate the pumping action of the heart, encouraging the flow of blood. In conjunction with this mechanical motion, Cornish administered a mixture of epinephrine (adrenaline) and anticoagulants in an effort to jumpstart the body's vital functions.
His initial trials, which took place in 1933, involved attempts to revive victims of heart attack, drowning, and electrocution. While these trials were unsuccessful, Cornish remained undeterred. The lack of results did not dissuade him; instead, they served as a catalyst for refining his technique. Realising that human testing was not yet feasible, Cornish turned his focus to animal experiments in an attempt to perfect his resuscitation methods.
The Lazarus Experiments
Cornish’s most famous experiments began in 1934, when he set out to revive clinically dead dogs. The subjects of these trials would later be known as Lazarus IV and Lazarus V, reflecting the biblical story of Lazarus, who was raised from the dead. These experiments marked the high point of Cornish’s career, where he achieved partial success, breathing life back into his test animals.
Lazarus IV, the first of Cornish’s revived canines, was put to death under controlled conditions on May 22, 1934. After a carefully timed series of injections and the rhythmic motion of the teeterboard, the dog was successfully brought back to life. Although Lazarus IV was far from fully restored to its original state—it was blind and could not stand without assistance—it was able to perform basic actions such as crawling, barking, and even consuming a substantial quantity of food. The results were encouraging, even if they were not conclusive evidence that Cornish had cracked the code of resurrection.
Lazarus V, the second canine subject, showed even more promising results. The dog was also clinically put to death, but this time Cornish reported that the revived animal exhibited fewer impairments and returned to a state closer to normalcy much faster than Lazarus IV. Lazarus V had been dead for thirty minutes before Cornish intervened, using his combination of artificial respiration and chemical injections to restore the dog’s life functions. Within four days, Lazarus V had shown greater improvement than Lazarus IV had managed in thirteen. This success further fuelled Cornish’s belief that his method could one day be applied to human beings.
The Controversial Quest for Human Trials
With his success on animals, Cornish turned his sights towards the possibility of human experimentation. However, his ambition soon collided with legal and ethical boundaries. In the late 1930s, Cornish received a letter from a death row inmate at San Quentin State Prison, Thomas McMonigle, who had become aware of Cornish’s work and offered his own body for post-execution resuscitation. McMonigle, sentenced to death for murder, believed that if Cornish succeeded in bringing him back to life, he would avoid a second execution due to the United States’ double jeopardy laws, which prevent an individual from being tried twice for the same crime.
Cornish eagerly seized the opportunity, seeing in McMonigle’s offer a chance to validate his work on the human stage. He petitioned the state of California for permission to carry out the experiment following McMonigle’s execution. The request, however, was swiftly denied. Legal authorities were uncomfortable with the potential legal ramifications of reanimating a convicted murderer, and ethical concerns regarding the manipulation of life and death were central to the decision. McMonigle was executed in 1948 without further controversy, and Cornish’s hopes for human trials were dashed.
The Decline of Cornish’s Career
Despite his earlier successes with the Lazarus experiments, Cornish’s career began to wane after the rejection of his human trials. He continued his work but found it increasingly difficult to secure funding or support from the broader scientific community, many of whom viewed his work as either unethical or scientifically unviable. By the 1950s, Cornish had retired from resuscitation research altogether.
In his later career, Cornish turned his focus to a more commercial endeavour in the later years of his life, marketing “Dr Cornish’s Tooth Powder with Vitamin D and Fluoride.” His foray into dental hygiene products was far removed from the ambitious and controversial scientific work that had defined his earlier career, and it reflected a retreat from the more radical pursuits of his youth.
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