New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-12-15
THE DEAD REsUscITATED.
A STORY OF GALvANIsM.
EY JOHN D. WILLIAMS.

even maintaining that by its influence the vita
spark could be restored to the dead body. Almost
essly physician who had any pretensons to science
maze numerous experiments with various surpris-
ing results. These experiments were commenced
on frogs, but eventually they were almost wholly
oo .i 10 persons who had met their death BY
suen ~ hanging or drowning Of course
no experiments were made with those who had
dIed 81 wounds Or Of organic diseases
in $3.50 there lived on Blackfriar's road, London.
q surgeon d the name Of Stewart. He was a very
strange man, paaaionately attached to hi. urnfess
sion, and although he had only settled .tbera fr
years, had already gathered together large nrac.
tice. He was extremely taciturn, and rarely on.
tered into conversation on any subjects exeentine
those Immediately connected with his profession.
Mr. Stewart was an expermentaiist. He might
almost be called hcretrodox in his views of the
science of medicine, for he condemned no innoya.
tions until he had tested them himself, and then Il
he found them worthless he made a business Of ey
posing their pretensons in the medical Journals Of
the day.
Among other things that claimed his attention
was the subject of gavanism. 70 this strange
principle in nature he devoted more than common
attention, and at last he became so enthralIed by
Investigations in room at the top Of his house
which he had fitted up especially for that purpose
having erected very powerful galvanic battery
there.
One day Mr.. Stewart was called to attend a
young lady living in Princes street. not very long
distance from his residence. His patient was not
very sick, and under his care she soon recovered.
strange to say, however, the surgeon did not
cease his visits to Miss Aston, for such was the
young lady's name, but every evening, after he
had finished his afternoon calls, would find him at
Mr. Alston's residence.
1t soon became evident that this saturnine man
was in love; even his investigations in galyanism
were suspended and he now devoted the time he
had before spent in his attic to the young lady's
society.
Emma Aston was charming girl, twenty wears
OF age, exceedingly handsome, and possessed a
highly cultivated mind. She was attracted to the
moody surgeon by his intellectual abilities. and
took great pleasure in his society. In her
Mr. Stewards natural character appeared to give
way to genter influences; with all his unpromising
exterior, he was susceptible to poetry, and Miss
Aston was surprised to find that her admirer had
a profound knowledge of the old and modern
poets, and would entertain her for hours together
by repeating all the best passages from their
works.
Mr.. Stewards visits continued for some months.
At last he thought he had received sufficient en-.
enlargement from Emma to propose to her. In a
plain, blunt, manly way he made known his passion
and to his extreme joy he was accepted The
young lady's mother offered no objection, for
although MIR. Stewart was much older than her
daughter Emma, he possessed considerable prop
erty, and was in every way what is called by
anxious parents " a good MATCH
The wedding day was fixed, the surgeons house
was newly furnished, and in one short week Mr.,
Stewart was to convey to his home the beautiful
bride.
Three days before the period appointed for the
ceremony, when the surgeon rose in the morning
fearful news was whispered in his ear. Emma
Aston had been murdered the previous night. AT
first he did not believe it, but immediate inYestiea-
ton only proved that it was too true. Burglars
had broken into the house, and the young girl,
making some resistance, had been barbarously
assassinated, a dagger having been plunged into
her heart. The murderer had, however been
taken, policeman having seen him leave the
premises He proved to be a villain who was
known by the name of Harry Liscomb. and against
whom several indictments for burglary were al.
ready issued. When he was arrested he was COW
cred with blood, and the pognard with which he
had inflicted the fatal wound was found his per-
son. The evidence against him was most clear,
and he committed to take his trial at the next
assizes for wilful murder.
The fearful news of the death of his promised
bride preyed so much on the surgeons mind that
he was attacked with brain fever, and for two
weeks it was not known whether he would live or
die His strong mind was shaken to its very foun-
dation, and in his derium he did nothing but rave
of his murdered Emma. At last his naturally
strong constitution prevailed, and he slowly re-
gained his senses. BY the most active antiphlo-
CYSTIC means the inflammation was subdued, and in
three weeks time he rose from his bed con-
vaescent. But with his recovery a strange thing
occurred: he lost all recollection of the events
that had transpred previous to his illness. He
spoke of Emma as having died of consumption,
and his friends thought it much better that the real
truth should be kept from him: so it was decided
among them that the subject should never be re.
terred to in any manner, but that his suppostion
should be encouraged by a tacit acknowledgment
of its truth.
He soon renewed his investigations in galvanism
with increased ardor, and, with the exception of
his professional visits, shut himself out entirely
from the world. He now passed every minute Of
his spare time in his dreary attic, and light might
be seen there to a late hour in the night.
About this time he became acquainted with Mr..
Evans, who held some situation in Newgate prison.
This gentleman, like himself, was an ardent stu
dent in all that is strange and bizarre in nature
and Mr.. Stewart found him man after his own
heart. Mr.. Evans was almost always at the sur
geons, excepting when his duties called him away
They pursued their experiments in silence and
often in that secret chamber grew pale at the won
derful discoveries they made.
One day Evans called upon Mr.. Stewart earlier
than usual and evidently had something important
to say to him.
Stewart" said Evans, when he entered the
surgery where he was waiting for him. 81 have
got some good news for you. Three men are to
be hanged tomorrow. have the promise of the
body Of one of them and have given orders to
have it conveyed here.'
That is good news, indeed,'' replied the sur
geon we shall now be able to set at rest the
problem whether it is possible to restore life."
g | have but little doubt we shall be successful.
Our previous experiments have almost demon
strated that fact. What after all, is death by
action by cutting off the supply of oxygen re-
quired by the blood. Now. if we can only bring
the galvanic battery to bear on the nervous CEN
tiers, it seems very evident that this subtle fluid
has the power of so exciting the nervous system
that the phenomenon which we call life will be re-
''You are right, Evans. Those are my views and
tomorrow we shall be able to prove whether they
ire correct or not
''Get your professional visits over early. shall
De here at % O'Clock at the furthest. The men
Ire to be hanged at 3. They will hang an hour,
Then one of the bodies will be delivered over to
he. 1t will scarcely take me half an hour to bring
t from Newgate here.o
"lIave no fear. will be at home By the bye
'ou must be careful to that the criminal has
lot his neck broken. Such an accident would of
curse render our experiments entirely nugatory.''
''l see to that. Goodbye for the present. |
hall not be with you this evening. You will have
o be made as soon as possible after DEATH
" will devote this evening to the necessary pre-
aratiOns.''
The two friends shook hands and parted.
Mr.. Stewart did not even wait till evening" but
It once retired to his attic and soon got everything
II readiness. He was in a state of great nervous
for he was about to prove the truth or
alsity of the great dream Of his lfe 1t is true he
lad experimental many times on the dead body,
nut the persons to whom he had applied his gal
'anc battery had either died of violence or some
disease, and all that he had been able to effect
merely muscular movements in the bodies. Now,
however, an opportunity was offered which might
lever occur again. A man who lost his life from
10 organic disease from no violence in which
blood was spilled, he regarded as the most favor
ible condition to test the truth of his theory.
The surgeon retired to bed that night anxious
md excited. 1t was in vain he closed his eyes to
sleep. He could think of nothing but his coming |
Last Drf. 1i,f