Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-05-04
Gaiyanic Experiment..

cd is from the Port Folio Of an exeitemen.
! seeker
At length one of them ~. back again with
i" his circle and said. vs.. us 20 to work.
We can think of other thtsas after.n
Every one seemed to re1ard this as sort of
relief. They had got rid .cf an importuna,e
| thonght, and about their Experiment they set
With zeal, and doubtless with skill. A great
deal took place which sld not understand
| and do not understand eyaa now. They turn.
ed the body over end cooaiy carved away with
their knives at the back a the neck, close 20
the base of the skull. Iishuadered as | saw;
| for tn ugh the man was aeRd, in all Conscience
l could not persuade NJ II that he did NO,
feel. Still and motionle >, lay, however, as
! Try handled Tin 80 ,5a.iy. aifI there was
something very horrible in that very stiffness.
The dull. smoky glare OF the lamps gave a
more hideous expression TO th&featurcs ,as they
turned him over and over; and The oppressive
atmosphere together with the sensations of
dread and awe that fv5t, seetcd almost 70
take from me the power Of re>pAaion Then
they filled up the proclaim through that
| have mentioned with acid4 and water,
adjusted it properly, let down. he metallic
plates INTO the iqnid, and drew t,me wire,
from the battery 10 the dead bodH Inserting
the end of them into the wound thrt had made
in the neck. 1t was an Old and, NJ after
wards found celebrated anatomist, wto held il
in its place, with long pair of fort bps, ap.
parently tipped with glass. | had "a as near
to the table as | could. and saw his hand
shake good deal; wondered whetherit va,
with age or agitation, and quietly rai.ed my
eyes to his face. 1t was pale as that If the
corpse; and 6 ancng round, saw all therest,
who had gathered closely about, gazing with
straining eyes, and faces equally white, upon
the form of the dead man. | had hardly drop.
ped my eyes to that cold dead conntenance
again, when sud len quivering twitch passed
like flash of Tightening over the muscles of
the cheeks and the old sulgeon's haGd shook
terribly; but he held the wire firmly in its
place, a little more acid he whispered, in
zones hardly audihle. and hr White ran and
poured something out Of a al into the trough
| Suddenly the protrudrd tongue was drawn
back into the mouth, and every one retreated
step from the table except he old man who
he'd The wire, and l could see him shut his
teeth hard, aud knit his 5rows as if strugg ing
resolutely against the feelings of dread and
awe within him. His eyes seemed s'artiug
from his head, bnt asmomenE or two after he
SAID, almost with gasp--ItIis coming
| So, indeed. it seemed. AS the subtle cur
rent of unexplained relations poured into the
corpse, all the features begin 10 work convul-
sively: the jaw moved - iAa--ass,lA cla,telsd;
eyelids opened; the eyes began to roll
My God + cried some one.
For Heavens sake stop exclaimed another.
Wait mlnute-Wat a minute. Let us
think! exclaimed the third crept up close
to the corpse, and almost touched it; but my
heart seemed as if it had nearly ceased to bea,
Every one was awestrlck, and could see
that the old surgeon was 50 himself, though
he said nothing, and continued to hold the
"ire-hardly conscious, believe, of what he
was doing; but looking more like a store stat.
uc than man.
In the meanwhile, the ghas.ly contortous
on the face of the corpse, which the act of
s'ranguiatIon had left, had gradually given
way to movements and expressions ,couvulsiye
indeed, but much more natural The ewes
still rolled; but there seemed liyht in them.
ne muscles quvered all over; but hardly
more than those of a man under strong emo.
iIon' The corpse seemed 10 look at US: and
~" agitation Of all around became Intense
suddenly the knees Were drawn up almost to
me chih' The arms raised wildly. One man
darted towards the door, and threw il open
Inc next instance, the corpse raised itself
suddenly, and sat up on the table, and drop.
ping the wire, the cd surgeon himself fel
'a'ht'ng to the floor Every one else rushed
from the room. except myself. and why did
not follow, know not. My feet seemed root.
ed to the floor, however could hardly
breathe
For an insiant-for merely an infant
the dead man sat there like living one: then
a"ayed heavily backward and forward, and
then fell, and rolled over upon the table
The spell which held me there seemed dis
Owed; rogained the use Of INV limbs, which
had seemed paralyzed; and ru-hing out Of the
room as the others had done before me, | has
tened down stairs.