Robert E. Cornish (December 21, 1903 – March 6, 1963) was an American

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

and writer, best known for his resuscitation experiments.

Biography

Cornish was a child prodigy graduating from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

with honors at the age of 18 and receiving a doctorate by the time he was 22. He worked on various projects including one that allowed for reading newspapers under water with special lenses. In 1932 he became interested in the idea that he could restore life to the dead. The cornerstone of his plan consisted of a

teeterboard The teeterboard or Korean plank is an acrobatic apparatus that resembles a playground seesaw. The strongest teeterboards are made of oak (usually 9 feet in length). The board is divided in the middle by a fulcrum made of welded steel. At each en ...

see-saw A seesaw (also known as a teeter-totter or teeterboard) is a long, narrow board supported by a single pivot point, most commonly located at the midpoint between both ends; as one end goes up, the other goes down. These are most commonly found a ...

that was used to get the blood flowing in the recently deceased patients while a mixture of epinephrine (adrenaline) and anticoagulants was injected into their circulatory system. In 1933 he attempted to revive victims of heart attack, drowning, and electrocution with the teeter board, but had no success. Cornish decided to perfect his method on animals and managed to revive two dogs (Lazarus IV and V) clinically put to death on May 22, 1934, and in 1935. As his experiments were successful on his dogs, Cornish wished to expand his clinical trials to include human testing. San Quentin Death-row inmate Thomas McMonigle contacted Cornish, offering his body for possible reanimation following his execution. California law enforcement refused Cornish and McMonigle's petition, due to concerns a reanimated murderer would have to be freed under the "double jeopardy" clause. After denial of the petition, McMonigle was executed in San Quentin's

gas chamber A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or other animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. Poisonous agents used include hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide. History ...

on 20 February 1948.

Selected publications

*''Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies'' (1943)

In popular media

* Cornish played himself in the 1935 film ''

Life Returns ''Life Returns'' is an American film directed by Eugene Frenke. The film stars Onslow Stevens, George P. Breakston and Lois Wilson with a plot that involves a doctor who is convinced that the dead can be brought back to life gets the chance to p ...

'', which was based on the story of his experiments. * The story of his experiments were featured in a 2012 episode of '' Dark Matters: Twisted But True''. * Travel Channel's

Monumental Mysteries ''Mysteries at the Monument'' (formerly ''Monumental Mysteries'') is an American reality television series currently airing on the Travel Channel and is hosted by Don Wildman. The show uncovers stories of history and unsolved mysteries behind Ame ...

presented his experiments in the 08/08/14 episode; the segment was titled,
The Reanimator
. * The 2015 film '' The Lazarus Effect'' was based on his experiments.

References

External links

Fragment of newspaper article about Lazarus V revival

1903 births 1963 deaths American biologists University of California, Berkeley alumni 20th-century biologists {{US-biologist-stub