Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-08-04
cr'fr Btaek'cood's Mdgaxjnc, for June.
PASSAGES FROM THE DIARY OF A LATE
PHYSICIAN.
CRAVE DOINGS.

PHYSICIAN
GRAVE DOINGS
gonue readcr-start not at learning that
have oeen, IN my time, a resurrec tionist Jct moi
this appalling word, this humii.tipc co., So;
conJure up in your fancy a throng of v,nn;r. i;L
aHo associations, or Darn your Phys, ;au's"
dismissal from your hearts and hcarths II is vonr
own groundless fears, my fair trombler-vou, 80,
suporstitious preiudces that have driven mo and
VIII drivo many others of my brethren. 10 sunh
orsaaiui doings as those hereafter detailed. Como
eoine-ist US have one word of reason between us
Oh the abstract qucstion-and then for my tile =
hou eSpectus to euro you OF disease and vol ,sn,.
ID the only means of learning ioie7 You would
nave us nringyou the ore OF skill and cxroricncc.
yet forbid us to break tho soil, or sink sb,N , -
this FAIR, tdr rcaIcr 2 Is this reasonable,
what ga now going to describe was nv frat
and last exploit in tho way of BODY s,e,l,., 7.
wasa grotesque, If not n iudiorous sconc, and oc.
CURED during the ported cf my ''walkinc the hos
pitas, as 1t Is called, which occupied tho two sea-
sons immediately after my leaging (ombrdno A
y2ring and rather interesting female wa.s Omitted :
patient at the hospit5l attcndei her caso ba fled
ali our SKIN, and h"r symptoms deficd our no.
sology. Now it seemed enlargement OF the
hcart-now osiiicatiou-nov; this that and the
other; and at last it was plain know nothing at
oil about the matter-no, not even " neither her dis
tomatic-uhether vt tfcs really the heart th.t was
at fault. She received benefit AZ all under the
fuctuating schemes of treatment ws pursued and
at length tell into dying circumstances. As soon
as her friends apprised Of her situation ana,
had an linking of our intention to open the BODY
they insisted on removing her Immediately from
the hospital, that she might do At homei" In
yam did Sir -, and his dressers e1poetulato
vehemently with them, and represent in exaggera-
ted terms the imminent peril attending such step.
Her two brothers avowed their apprehension of our
designs, and vcro ineyblc in exercising their right
of removing their sister. used all my rhetoric on
the occaaon-but in vain, and at last said to the
young men, " Well if you arc afraid only OF our
disSecting her, get hold of her if wo are so
silly Sha 1iaI,t -.Il..
"Well-wo'll troy that, measter," replied the
elder, while his Hercuean fist cscilatod signiii-
can;ly before my eyes. The poor girl was removed
accordingly to her fathers house, which was at a
certain village about five miles from London, and
survived her arrival scarcely ten n.iHutos. We
soon contrived to receive intelligence OF the event:
and as and Sir Is two drossers had taken great
interest Ill the throughout ami felt inienss
curiosity about the real nature Of the disease We
met together and entered into ro!omn compact
that como what might we would have iisr BODY ont
OF The ground. y trusty spy informed us of the
e. time and exact place of the girls burial; and on
expressing TO Sir - our discrimination about tho
matter he patted me the back, saying All
my hne fel!ow-1F you have spirit enough-dange-
rous," &c. &c Was it not rkiitully sud7-Thc
baronet further told us he felt himself 50 curious
about tho matter, that if fifty pounds would he of
use to us, they were at service. It needed not
this, nor glance at tho ecldt with which the sue
cosstu issue Of the affair would be attended anor
our tcllow-students, to spur esoves
Tho notable scheme finally adustea at nv
rooms in the borough and E. S,r-'s
dresscrs, and myself, with experienced "erab,"
that Is to say, professional Observation-Disclosures
to set off from the Borough about nine O'Clock the
next evening-which would be tho third day after
the burlal-in glass coach, provided, with all tap
pliances and means to boot" During the day, howe
yer our friend the grab suffered severely from an
over nights excess as to disappont of his invau
able assistance This unex pected conireterps nearly
put an end to our projects for the fcw other grabs
we knew, absent on professional tours, frc,s
v, ri mn Of
"a sort of "ne'er-do -wecl" hanger-on at The hosp
tai, whom had several tirnos hired 10 90 on err
rands. This man / sent for to my rooms end in
the presence of my two coadiutors, pcrsuaded
threatened, and bothered into "reminiscences prom
ising INN half a guinea for his evonins's work
and as much whiskoy as he could drink prlIdcntlv
AS Mr.. TiP-that was the name he went by-had
some personal acquaintance with tho sick nrab he
succeeded i'll borrowing his chief tools; with which
IN sack large enough TO contain our expected
prize, he repaired to my rooms about nino o'clock
while tho coach was standing at the door. Cur
Jehu mad received quiet douceur in addition to
the hire of himself and coach. AS soon az we had
exhibited sundry doses of irish cordial 10 our friend
lip, under the effects of which ne became unite
''bouncible," and rantea about tho feat he was to
take prominent part in-and equipped ourselves
in our worst clothes, and white top-coats we enter
ed the vehclc-four number--and drove off
The weather had been exceedingly capricinus all
the evening-moonght, rain, thunder and light
ming, fittuliy alternating. The only thing we We're
anxious about, the darkness to shield us from,
possible observation. must own that in analysing
the feelings that prompted to undertake and 90
through with this affair." the love of adventure
operated as powerfully tho wish to benefit the
cause OF anatomical science. A midnight expedi-
ton TO the tombs!-1t took our fancy AMAZINGLY:
and then-Sir Is cunning hint about the dan
ger'-and 'spIrtn'
The gaTruous Tip supplied us with amusement
all the way dOwnratic, rattle, rattle necessarily;
but as soon as VIC had arrived at that part Of the
road where we were to stop, and caught sight Of
- church, with its hoary steepIe grey, elisiening
in the fading moonlight; as though it was standing
sentinel over the graves around it, ono of which we
were going so rudely to violate, TIPS sprits bepan
TO falteT little. He said lite-and that at inter
walls. To be very candid with the reader none Of
us felt over much at Our expedition be-
gan to wear somewhat hairbraned aspect and to
be environed with formidable contingencies which
we had not taken sufficiently into our calculations
What, for instance, if the two stout fellows.
the brothers. should be out Watching their sisters
grave? They were not likely to stand on much
ceremony with us. And then the manual Difficult
ties! E was the only of us that had ever
assisted at the exhumatiOn ola body and the rest
OF us were likely to prove but bunglinr workmen-I
However, we had gone too far to think of rereatng
We none OF us spoke suspicious but the silence
that regned within the coach was significant In
contemplation, however, of some such continpcn
cy, we had put a bottle of brandy in the coach
pocket, and before drew up, We had all four of
US drank pretty deeply oft. A, length, the coach
turned down by-lanc TO the cft which led direct
~ to the churchyard wall; ard after moving few
steps down it, in order shelter oar vehicle from
the observation Of highway plssongcrs we stop
ped, and the driver opened the door.
Come, Tip" said /, "out with your