, 1859-11-18

among my companions, rite of initiation that
could not be dispensed with. The sensation Of
horror experienced cannot be described. Ivow-
ed mentally that would never enter such . re-
voting place again, but in three months was the
most reckless Of the members Of all the classes.
Now handle the dead as IL they were mere bales
Of cotton. Disease in every shape face without
fear. Spectacles Of the most appalling character
pass by me, leaving no impression worth mention
ing And this, gentleman" said he, raising his
voice and approaching the table whereon lay the
subject, "this faculty Of conquering our weak
nesses Is what makes US valuable as physicians
Nervei that, young gentlemen, is our greatest aid
in difficult practice. Learn to suppress every ap.
proach to nervousness school yourselves to view
the severest suffering with adamantine frmness-
never betray the slightest fear, and with hard
study to back you, there can be nothing to retard
your progress in the noblest Of the learned
professions"
Here he made the usual sign to the janitor, and
that official partially removed the cloth from the
subject-the Professor standing, then, with bis
back toward the table.
"0ur first business, be resumed, "is with the
stomach"
We gathered around him full Of anxious ex.
pectation.
"You will pay particular attention to me" be
continued, barring the scalpel, and half turning
toward the table, "the first incisions are very
important"
We concentrated our vision upon the corpse
he looked steadily at US.
81 will now" be resumed, seeing our attention
directed upon his words and movements, clay
open the body directly beneath the region Of the
diaphragm"
He now laced about full at the table, and lifted
the scalpel. He paused an instant We gazed,
with all earnestness, upon the body. The scalpel
descended. Scarcely had It touched thelean, lank,
seraggy and miserable relic Of mortality ere there
was fearful change. The most perfect silence
reigned in the room. The scalpel second time
touched the body, and then, as il the instrument
had been . galvanic battery, the supposed corpse,
with countenance horribly contorted, sprang
up and seized the Professor by the gown, and
then fell back quiescent A glance Of horror and
recognition seemed TO pass between the "sub-
ject" and the Professor. He, as II struck BY
lightning, staggered back, with q loud cry, or
rather shrek, and stood, in an attitude Of des-
pair and wild terror, gazing vacantly into the
air.
Before we could recover from our terror, he
had ainted.
We looked at the body; the muscles Of the
twitching convulsively, and yet as after investi-
cation proved, Il was dead. Why il should
have made this strange manifestation Is not to
be resolved into Q matter Of certainty. One Of
the physicians connected with the institution
says that he has witnessed the same phenomena
among the bodies Of those who died suddenly in
fits, as we'll as Of those who were slain by chol
era. Heaven only knows the reason Of the ter
rife and curious demonstration But the strang-
est part Of my story remains to be told.
We naturally supposed that tho Professor
swooned from fright We applied restoratives,
and finally he exhibited indications of conscious
ness. We explained to him that the show Of
life given by the poor, hded form upon the table
was purely spasmodic and hllacious; but he
incredulously shook his head, mutteTing, Z" II
was tho hand Of Goo" ," and relapsed into insensl-
bility. A second time We restored him 10 his
senses and his first words were,
Remove the subject Hide Il from my sighti"
and then as II again hoTror-strcken, he fell into
violent convulsions. Isl. ar
have recovered from the effects Of the scene
enough to be LEFT in charge ofone watcher. Be
fore we retired, however, the explanation Of the
Professors extreme alright at the scene Of hOr.
ror was made. The revelation Cor such Il was)
was given under pledge Of secresy-a pledge
extorted from me BY the surrounding circum.
stances The corpse into which the Professor
was about to plunge the scalpel rds that Of he
br0kherl
How or when be bad reached this country is
not known. But III Is known, that, after earning
an unenviable notoriety among gamblers, horse
jockeys, and the victim Of pronigacy generally,
he gradually sank into the mire Of degradation
until he became dweller ina den Of thieves well
known to the police. Here he was seized with
disease, and, deprived Of his accustomed strong
potations, delirium tremens was the consequence.
He was kicked into the street-Attempied to
commit highway robbery-was arrested, tried,
and condemned to tho State Prison. Before
reaching there, however, be was to all appear
ance dead, and was In that condition conveyed to
the purveyor Of "sub)ects," and 50 brought to
our dissecting room.
The college On which we do not reside) Is for
the present closed. The remains which greeted
the Mortified vision Of the Professor-which
sprang from the same lOins as his own body
which he had often eniolded in his arms and in
the integrity Of the heart that animated which he
had once placed the firmest reliance-were ST.
lently placed in neat coffin, and deposited, not
to be disturbed again, hope, until the day Of
resurrection, in secluded spot IN cemetery.