Dr. James Hiram Bedford was a man of diverse skills – a professor at the University of California and a World War I veteran who led a rich life and explored the globe. However, he is most famously known as the first individual whose body was preserved through cryonics. This method involves keeping a human body (or brain) at extremely low temperatures post-mortem.
In 1967, Bedford, who had considerable wealth, was diagnosed with kidney cancer that spread to his lungs, during an era when medical advancements were not as sophisticated as they are now.
Upon receiving his diagnosis, Bedford was already acquainted with the idea of cryonic preservation.
He had learned about it from the book The Prospect of Immortality by Dr. Robert Ettinger.
Dr. Ettinger, recognized as the founder of the Cryonics Institute, is often referred to as the pioneer of body freezing research. His institute offers body freezing services after death, with the hope of possibly reviving the individual in the future when medical technology has progressed sufficiently to treat the ailment that led to their demise.
After learning about this procedure, Bedford decided to have his body frozen following his death.
On January 12, 1967, in the afternoon, he received an injection of dimethyl sulfoxide to safeguard his internal organs, after all the blood had been removed from his body.
Subsequently, Bedford was placed in a tank filled with liquid nitrogen at a chilling minus 196 degrees Celsius.
Twenty-four years later, Alcor, a company specializing in cryonic preservation, examined Bedford’s body to assess its cryogenic state.
It was found that the body had been well-preserved. His nose and mouth had a metallic scent reminiscent of blood, and his face appeared younger than his actual age of 73. Some areas of skin on his chest and neck showed discoloration, and his corneas were a chalky white, resembling ice.
Subsequently, technicians enveloped Bedford in a fresh sleeping bag and submerged his body in liquid nitrogen to await further action.
Fast forward over 50 years since the anticipated moment to revive Bredford, and he remains merely a “mummy.”
As stated by Robert Nelson, one of the three scientists involved in the cryonic preservation, Bredford’s final words were: “I want you to understand that I did not do this with the thought that I would be revived. I did this in the hope that one day my descendants will benefit from this wonderful scientific solution.”
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