The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-11-19
The Surgeons Revenge.

The Surgeons Revenge.
The following deeply interesting story was
related by doctor Gibson in one of his lectures
before the medical class of the University of
Pennsylvania. The hero Of the story is Vesale
one of the most eminent of Italian surgeons
Andre Vesale first saw the light in the city of
Brussels. His father was an apotheca,y, at
tached to the service Of the princess Margaret
aunt of the emperor Charles v, and govern
ess of the low countries.
Up to the period when Vesale first rendered
himself conspicuous, the anatomy of the human
body was so imperfectly understood as scarcely
to merit that the term science should be applied
to the dim and confused ideas relating to it.
Vesa]e was the first to break Though the tram
mels with which ignorance and bigotry had
crippled the march of science, and surmount-
ing with admirable courage and constancy the
disgust, the terror and even the peril insepara-
bic from this description O labor, in which he
had devoted himself, he was to be seen whole
days and ights in the cemeteries surrounded
by the fostering remains O mortality or how
ering about the gibbets, and disputing with the
vulture for its prey, in ord.r to compose per-
feet skeleton from the remains of executed crimi-
mails left there to be devoured BY the carron bird
1t was during a sojourn 1t Basle, after his re-
turn from Italy, that VesaIe first beheld at the
house of Hans Holbein, the painter, Isabella
Van S.eenwryk, the daughter of a merchant at
Haraem who was destined 10 exercise some in
huence over his future life He was scarcely
twenty-eight years of age, and already he had
obtained the summit of well directed ambition
The family of Van Steenwryk wasa wealthy
nd for 10, nf W.,
sale in birth and fortune; but the distinguished
position the latter had acquired for himself, en-
titled him to aspire to an alliance even more ex
allied. The son ofthe princessMargaet's apoth
ecary would have been rejected by the rich Har-
laem burgher; the emperor's first physician was
accepted by him as most eligible son-inlaw.
| The marriage solemnised, Vesa]e, accompanied
by his young bride, set off for Stvie Ma4efe
Charles then held his court
Though she loved her husba,d, there was
so much awe mingled with her ,ffecton as TO
throw an appearance of restraint over her de-
meanor towards him, even in the privacy OF
domestic life. The very nature of his profess
sion and occupation was calculated to increase
| that awe, and even to create some degree of re-
pugnance, in a shrinking mind, which nothing
|
nature required skillful drawing out and tender
fostering. Vesale, unfortunately, mistook her
temerity for coldness and resented it accord
ingy; this led to cstrangenent on her part,
which he attributed to dislike, and jealous dis
trust at last took possession O. his soul Amidst
the galleries of Seville, whe-e for a woman to
be young and attractive, was to command the
attention and authorize the devotion Of the 9th
er sex, it was no difficult task TO arouse the sus-
capabilities of a suspicious husband.
Nesale's house became the resort of all that
was noble and gallant in Scylle, and he for a
time believed his own scientific conversation tc
be the attraction. At first the young vile
showed her usual calm indifference to The ad
niration that followed wherever she was seen
but at last, something in her manner and coun
tenance, whenever one particular person ap
peared or his name mentioned, betrayed
that there did exist a being who had discover
ed the secret of causing the blood to flow NOR.
unanimously through her veins That person
was Don AIvar de Soils; and as he was young
handsome and gay, and the most inconstan
gallant in Seville, the suspicious of Vesale wer,
painfully aroused He took silent note Of the
unusual emotions that agitated Isabella when
|
! The general conduct of Don Alvar was cal
cuIated to battle suspicion, being marked by in
! difference This would have mised the vi glan
husband, had he not on one occasion, when hi:
| back was turned towards Don Alvar, perceived
him, in an opposite mirror, fix his kindIlng eyes
upon Isabella with an expression not to be mis-
taken, while she grew red and pale by turns
and then, as though unable to surmount her ag
tation, rose and left the room. Shortly after
Eesale received an anonymous note, saying
Look to your wife and Don Alvar de Selas
and be not deceived by appearance. They
onl y want fitting opportunity to dlshonor you
Even now he carries about him the gloves She
dropped for him at mass
! Vesale shut himself up to ponder over tht
most effectual means of avenglng himself. Hi
resolution was promptly taken, Having estab
lished schools of anatomy at San Lucar ant
to visit them, Quilted Seville ostensiby for tina
purpose, but returning the same night, conceal
ed in a tenement belonging to him at some dis
tancc from his abode in Acazar, which was de
voted to the double purpose of a laboratory ant
dissecting room. He had taken no person int
his confidence; he was alone in his vengeance
and listened to his counsel. At dark in the fol
lowing evening, he issued forth, muffled to thu
eyes in womans mantle and hood, and left
note at Don Alvars habita,ion, containing al
embroidered glove of IsabeIla's and thes'
words: Il have obtained the key to Vesale'
laboratory, during his absence; be at the gat
an hour after midnight, and you will be ad
mitted on pronouncing the name of Isabella
The assignaion was promptly kept by pol
Alvar, At an hour past midnight he left hi
house alone, but he never returned to it
Whittier he had gone none could say, nor coul'
any trace of him ever be discovered. 1t wa
supposed he must have missed his footing ant
fallen into the Guadalquiver, near which hi
abode was situated, and that his body had bee1
swept away by the waves into the ocean. suc]
an occurrence was calculated to produce grea
: sensation in the place where it had happened
and Vesale, recalled three weeks after by tn
illness of his wife, found the disappearance Q
Don Alvar the theme of every tongue. Th
altered appearance of Isabella was attributes
by Vesale to grief for the mysterious absenc
of Don Alvar and that conviction took from
hin, all nit, for bor c1,ffnriprS