Almos received my evident amazement with the quiet smile I had grown accustomed to observe upon such occasions, and, with a view of illustrating the point further, said: 

“Although one’s actual age becomes a very unimportant matter when, instead of being limited to sixty or seventy years, it extends over hundreds of years, I can readily ascertain my age, from the fact that I was twenty years old at the time these wonderful rays were discovered.  I have lived, then, about six hundred of Earth’s years, or three hundred Martian years.”

“Six hundred years!” I exclaimed, as I looked at the reflection of his handsome face; his eyes flashing, his cheeks aglow with ruddy health, his whole countenance animated with the full vigor of manhood.

“Of course, we do not know how long the effects of regenerating rays will make it possible to live,” pursued Almos, “but in theory, it would seem that by their daily use perfect health will be assured, and life itself will continue indefinitely.”

“And death become unknown on Mars!” I added, enthusiastically.

“Not quite unknown,” rejoined Almos.  “For lives are sometimes lost in accidents.  Instant death defies all our science, and will not be conquered.  But in accidents, no matter how serious, where a spark of life remains, we can prevent that from escaping until the body is in a condition to take care of it.

“This is accomplished by a device known as a virator, which, though simple in construction, is the greatest marvel of the age.  It consists of a dome, made of material similar to glass in appearance, but which differs from anything else known, in that it is absolutely atomless.  This dome fits over the operating table, upon which the patient lies, with just sufficient room for two persons inside, and is kept at the temperature of the body.  On its top is a small globe made of the same material, measuring but a few inches in diameter, which is connected with the large chamber below by a neck or passage about an inch wide.  The patient is placed inside, and there operated upon.  If life leaves the body, either during the operation or after, the spirit ascends through the narrow passage into the small globe above and is there retained, as it cannot pass through the material of which the walls of this chamber are constructed.  The body is then kept continually bathed in the regenerating rays, which not only preserve it as if life were in it, but actually carry on the process of healing.  This continues until the body is in a perfectly sound and healthy condition again, and well able to retain life.

“And now occurs the most wonderful of all.  When everything is in readiness for the spirit to enter the body again, a strong flow of super-radium is sent through the top globe from an instrument attached.  Passing through the small chamber and down the narrow passage, it reaches the body, and immediately changes to a return flow.  This current is but momentary; the patient is seen to move, and the body is once more quickened by the life spark.  The flow of super-radium has conveyed the spirit of the patient from the small chamber above and released it in the body as it returned, in exactly the same manner as it does with light-waves or sound-waves.”