Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-02-18
For tile Spectator.

For the Spectator.
Messrs. Elitors:-My attention was called
few DAYS since to a communication in your pa
per of the 4th inst over the signature OF b. +
KILLER. | hope, Messrs. Editors, that you, a
well as all other right thinking and intelligen
persons in the community, vii. excuse me To-
giving my attention at all to this bundle OF con
sumate nonsense and bombast.
The negro woman on whose dead body tn
learned Doctor has been making his importan
anatomical investigations was, in part, my prop
erty. She died some or weeks ago, and wa
decentN buried. The uncle Of the nephew in
formed his very promising kinsman of Spring
Hill of her demise. Immediately OH the receip
of this information, Dr. B. I. KILLER, as | have
been credibly informed, in company with two
able bodied men of the village, started off t.
the county of Page where the negro woman died
procured the dead body, and brought it to thu
vicinity of Spring Hill. The bold and reckless
manner in which he procured the corpse, ant
the uncvil as well as unprofessional way II
which he conducted the post a1ortem examine
ton, must be revolving to every moral and in
telligent member of the communicated ant
reckless, because it was wanton violation o.
sepulture and direct infringement of law nm
civil as well as unprofessional, because the ex,
animation of the dead body was carried on in O.
pen day, and in a manner so public that all who
felt the least promptings Of curiosity or amuse-
ment were permitted to call and see.
| The Doctor, by way ofiustifying his course
says that his uncle solicited him to institute an
autopsia and report to him the pathological le-
sions of the case-"that he felt it his duty well
as province to satisfy the demand, and that he
sought a solitary and secluded spot" &c. Now
any one would infer from DR.. KILLERS card, that
his uncle was physician. Not so. The uncle
alluded to is an humble farmer; q plain and
honest, but very iliterate man. Now, in the
name of common sense, what would such man
care or know about autopsia, and pathological
LESSONS? The spot alluded to by the Doctor was,
it is true, very secluded place up to the time
he occupied it for the purpose of satisfying the
demand of his uncle, who had no more right to
the negro woman in question, dead or alive, than
have to the skeleton of his verdant nephew, in
case wished to have it as an article of furniture
for my Doctors shop.
The Doctor holds out the idea that the post
norton examination was conducted in very
private manner. Now could name some twelve
or fifteen persons, mostly youths, who were pres
ent at different times during the examination.
Rumor says that not less than thirty or forty
visited this very secluded spot of the Doctors.
Yet he would make the community believe that
the post norton was conducted privately and
professionally Shame, Shame, where is thy
blush
l have given plain statement of what | be-
leye to be facts. Post m0rtegs examinations
are often very necessary; but they should be
made with tie consent of the friends and rea-
tives of the deceased, and previous to burial
This is the course l have pursued since | COM
menced the practice of medicine look upon it
as morally, socially and professionally right
The opposite of ths-the course pursued by the
Spring Hill Doctor, that Paragon of literature
and luninary of the medical profession-l look
upon as morally, socially and professionally
wrong But as the case in question is likely to
become one of legal investigation. have no in
clination to say any thing that may have ten
dency to forestall public opinion.
AS the thrusts OF this literary SQUAD and pro-
fessional pigmy are aimed almost entirely at me,
thought at one time of taking some notice of
his communication as literary production, and
see how far it would harmonic with the stale
notions of Murray q Ruddiman; but my Cam
phor bottle being empty, and having no good
antispasmodic at hand, think it hardly prudent
to make the effort.
The Doctors communication as q whole re-
minds me very much of prayer that | heard
some years ago, at what was then called Gam
ble's School House. 1t was at class meeting.
A large athletic member, youth of some TWEEN
ty summers, was called on to pray. The call
was readily obeyed. lie went on in q happy
cumulative style, piling Alps upon Alps, until
he got as high as lie thought it prudent for him
to go; when, by way of Gaping the climax, he
exclaimed with stentorian voice 30 Lord, if
there is anything in us uncompugnant, radicate
it out!"
1t is hardly necessary for me to say that the
walls of the old School House rang with shouts
of Amen after this sudden outburst of devo-
tional bombast.
If the Doctor has any more Latin in his era
mum, any more Vel Sic POl0ngas," let me en-
treat him. for humanty's sake, to keep it to
himself. And now by way of finale to any farth-
err notice of the Doctor and his rare production,
l will say to him, as Uncle Toby said to the fly,
and say it, too, more in pity than in anger =
$50, poor DEVIL the world is wide enough for
thee and me-" W. r. BLAIR.
Vim. and American copy.