Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-22
OCToBER. 1851.
Ea,tor. N.,p Yark Heaklu D..pntch !.

horror. Only three short weeks ago was one
of the gayest students of medicine and sur
gerry in the United States. To-day-well, let
me not anticipate.
Two years have elapsed since l was sent
from Mobile, by nv father to study M dicine
al the North. listened to my first course of
lectures in Philadelphia, and there made the
acquaintance of Professor -, who is, pro-
badly the best demonstration, in physiology,
that ever taught the young idea how to shoot,
ALPHABETICALLY, on this side of the Atlantic. l
was fortunate enough to become particular
favorite of his, and was introduced by him,
with an especial flourish, to one of the clever
est surgeons, think, in the world. His name
is -. / will call him the Professor how
you at once conceive great dislike, or a won
derful Partially, and it was the latter l. at the
first time we met, felt for him.
He was a strange being; at least be seemed
so to me upon our first meeting, aud forever
afterwards. Oftentimes he drank deeply, and,
while under the influence of drink, he would
let fall curious hints concerning blighted
hopes" I" the rascality of kindred and g the
folly of supposing any affection sprang from
the ties of cOnsanguinity." On one of these
communicative occasions he told me heart
rending history of family experiences. /
gathered by piecemeal, from his conversations,
the fact that one of his own blood had treated
him most heartlessly, and driven him by fraud
of the grossest character. from his native place
to this country, penniless and friendless-
/ ought to say, en- pass0nt, that his drinking
bouts were conducted strictly upon the gen.
tlemanly plan, and were seldom or never
made known to the public, or even to the ma
jority of those who ranked among his imme
diate friends; and furthermore, I should re-
mark that he is well advanced in years, al
though no doubt you know that already.
my evil spirit is upon me-" he would
sometimes say TO me- and then he would illus
trate, in his conduct and manner, the most
singular phases of hypOchOndria | ever wit
messed.
Ii appears that he was born in the town of
C, must be guarded for | am now
violating confidence,) and was unfortunate
enough, considering the laws, which give the
elder brother erery thing, to be ushered into
the world after his brother John. For this
frere he felt the intensest affection. To him
he cOnfided a history of his hopes, to him he
looked more than 10 his infirm father for adj
vice; to him he communicated a narrative of
his love- and of his successful wooing. The
maiden of his choice was beneath him in wealth
and station, but his brother approved Of that
choice and he was content Ii is necessary
10 my object, penning this narrative only to
state that the elder brother seduced the girl;
robbed, by fraud of the basest character,
her honorable lover of all his means, (also
reducing the old father TO penury by forger
les, y and then dccamped, taking the girl along,
to Italy.
Ibid you never take vengeance upon the
seducer!" | inquired, when he related these
facts to me.
II did not regard either of them as being
worthy of my anger" he replied. land new
er followed them an inch
Did you ever hear from Them" / queried.
Yes-several times The last news | got
was 10 the effect that she had become shame
less and besOtted, and was living in condi
ton of public inlamy in Paris. Of course he
had left her"
And he?'
Had become a gambler some wrote to
me, thief. Here he shuddered.l Certain
it was that he had squandered all his ill-got-
ten means
This was all could gather of his early and
domestic history. But to the point of my
communication.
Three weeks ago. the Professor was to ex-
plain to all "a class of students) certain
condition of the human stomach, and he was
to do this practically in the dissccting room.
There was dispute as to the prOpriety OF
some of the late Doctor Marshall Halls teach
ings. with reference to the division Of the ner-
vOus system, and the Professor was to settle
the dispute, scalpel in hand. The division of
Doctor Hall, permit me to say, arranges the
nervous system into three sections-the cere-
bral, or sentiment voluntary: the true spinal
or excito-mOtor, and the ganglionic, or nutri-
ent, or secretory.
The Professor is one of the most skilful Of
aud a precise and handsome demon
strator. His devotion 10 the anatomical
branches of medical science amounts almost
to monomauia. The patience with which he
will work around and elaborate the smallest
for his cabinet is spder-lke.
Connected with the mooted questions con-
corning the stomach, We're Others which it is
for me to describe; but they
made it imperative that the body, TO be dis
sected, should be that of a male adult some
what aged.
The night arrived. We were ali in our dis
secting-room apparel. The body entirely
nude, and completely covered with cloth, as
is the custom, lay upon the table. and we inn
patiently awaited the Professors arrival.
The conduct of students in the dissecting
room is not, as | presume the most Of your
readers know from the many able sketches
you have published, particularly digaified. In
fact. il is lin view of the sad proofs of our
helplessness and mortality spread
around) frivolous, disgusting. and utterly at
variance with the scene. and the legitimate
purpose of the assembiage. Rude Jrsts pro-
family, the intempcrate use of ardent spirits.
pipe-smoking, &c, are practiccd and INDUCED
in by all, or nearly all. On this night we
were IN the widest spirits, and when, soon AT
ter the hour appointed, the Professor entered,
he found us engaged in most animated series
Of laughs Mt the spectacle of a lighted cigar
stuck between the lips of a hslf-dissected ne
gro.
The Professor appeared TO be as joyful as
the students he RECALLED US with several an
ecdotes more pointed than polite, but calcula-
ted To inspire the heartiest mlrth. | perceived
that he was in his best mood. There he was
IA perfect picture of the man of science, bend
ing, for the moment from the dignities of his
station, 80 as to insure IA feeling of ease TO
those who had congregated 10 receive bis in
structions. And ease, in the presence of the
preceptor, let me tell you, is very serviceable
To pupil.
at Is astonishing he said as he prepared
him-slf far the business of the night, chow
soon We get To be familiar with the relics OF
Habit is everything. The first
tins that was introduced 10 the dissecting
room, was compelled to bite piece OF hu-
men flesh, that being considered, among my
rite of Initiation that could
not bc dispensed with. The SENSATION Of hor-
ror experienced cannot be dsscribvd. vow
I'd mentally taat 1 would never enter such
revolving place ags1u. but in three months
WIS the most reckless of the members of all
the classes. No,o | handle the dead "a if
they were iaere tales of cotton. Disease in
every shape face without fear. Spectaclrs
of the most appalling character pass 10y me.
leaving no impression worth mentioning.
And this, gentlemen" said be, raising hla
voice aud approaching the table whcreon lay
the subject, this faculty OF coaquering our
y weaknesses is what maSes us valuable M
ph yslcians. Nery4 that, Young gentlemen.
l. our greatest aid in diaicult practice. Learn
To suppress every approach TO nervousness
school yourselves a. view the severcst suffer
ing with adsmantine Lrmntss-neyer betrAy
the slightest fear, ard, with hard study TO
back you. there cal BE- nothing to Frlard your
progress in the Boblesi OF ali the l.araei pro-
tcssions.h
Here he made the usual sign 10 the janltor.