A Letter on Suspended Animation containing experiments shewing that it may be safely employed during operations on animals

** "A Letter on Suspended Animation" by Henry Hill Hickman is a revealing scientific exploration from the 1800s, focusing on the possibility of using suspended animation in surgeries. Hickman shares experiments done on animals, where he induced a temporary state of inactivity using methods like carbonic acid gas, aiming to prove that surgery could be safely performed while minimizing pain and suffering. He communicates these findings in a letter to T. A. Knight, noting quick wound healing and reduced complications in the animals. Hickman makes the case that these approaches could greatly improve surgical practices by reducing patient distress and enabling operations on insensible subjects with the same level of safety as on conscious ones. **