Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1859-01-07
THE SURGEONS REVENGE.


The following deeply interesting story was
related ty DR.. 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.
Andrew Vesale first saw light in the city of
| Brussels. HIS father was an apothecary, at
tached to the service of the Princess Margaret,
aunt of Charles v, and governess of tue low
countries.
Up TO the period when Vesale first rendered
| himself conspicuous, the anatomy of the hu-
man body was i;pperfectly understood as
scarcely to merit that the terms of science
should be applied to the dim and confused ideas
relating to it. Vesale was the first to break
: throuoh the trammels with wnicn ignorabae and
bigotry had crippled the maren "a science, sur
mounting with admirable courage and constaR-
cy the disgust, the terror and the peril insepa-
rable from this description of the labor in
| which be bad devoted himself, he was to be
seen whole days and nights in the cemeteries,
| surrounded by the fostering remains of NOR
| tality, or towering about the giobets, and dis
putting with the vuiture for its prey, in order
to compose perfect skeleton from the remains
of executed criminals left there by the carrion,
bird.
1t was during sojourn at Basle, after bis
| return from Italy, that Vesale first beheld at
the house of Hans HoIben, the painter, lsa-
bella Won Stanwark, the daughter of mer-
chan; at Harlaem, who was destined to exer-
| cise some influence over his future life. He
was scarcely twenty eight years of age, and al
| ready be had attained the summit of we'll di-
| rected ambition.
The family of Won Stanwark was a wealthy
aud honorable one, far superior to that of Ve-
| 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
exalted. The son of the Priucess MaTgaret's
apothecary would have been rejected by the
| rich Harlaem burgher, but as the emperor's
hrst physcia0. was accepted by hiIn the
most eligible sou-n-law. The marriage SOL
emnized, Vesalc, accompanied by his young
bride, set off for Seville, where Charles then
hold bis court.
Though she loved her husband, there so
| much awe mingled with her affection, as TO
| throw an appearance of restraint over her de-
meanof toward hn, even in the privacy of do
meatc life. The very nature of his profession
and occupation was calculated To increase that
ave, aud even to create some degree of repug-
nance in shrinking mind, which n"tbng but
strong affection could overcome. lss6eila' :
nature required skillful drawing out and teuder
fostering. Vesale, unfortunately, mIstook her
timidity for celdness, aDd resented IT record
ingIy; this led TO es;raugcnent on her part,
which he attributed to dislike; jealous distrust
took possession of his soul.
Vesale's house became the resort of all that
was noble aud gallant in Seville, and he for a
tine believed his own scientific conversational
be the attraction. AT first the young wife
4. Al.
miration tha; followed wherever she was seen;
but at last something in ber manner and coun-
:enance, whenever one particular person ap-
peared, or his name was mentioned, betrayed
that there did exist being who had discover
cd the secret for causing the blood to flow more
tumultuously through her veins. That person
was Don Alva de Soils; aud as he young,
handsome, gay, and the most inconstant gall
liant lu Seville, the suspicious of Vesale were
painfully aroused He took silent note of the
unusual emotions that agitated Isabella when.
ever the nobleman was in her presence.
The general conduct of Dou Aiva was cal
cuiated to battle suspicion, being marked BY
Indifference. This would have n,isled the vlg-
liant husband, had he not on one occasion when
his back was turned toward Don Alya, per-
ceiyed him in an opposite mirror, fix his kind
ling ewes upon Isabella With an expression not
to be mistaken, while she grew red and pale by
turns, and then, as though unable to surmounl
her agitation, rose and left the room.
Shortly after Vesale received an anonymous
note, saying
"Look to your wife and Don Ava do Soils
I. and be not deceived by appearances. They
only want fitting opportunity TO dlshouor you
Even now be carries about him the gloves she
dropped for him at mass.'
Vesale shut himself up to ponder over the
most efectual means of avenging himself
His resolution was soon taken. Having esab.
lished schools of anatomy at Lucca and COrdo.
= doya, he obtained the Emperor's permission tt
! visit them, Quilted Seville osteDsibly for tha
j purpose, but returning the same night conceal
] ed himself in a tenement belonging to him a
some distance from his abode in Acazar, whict
9 was devoted to the double purpose of labora.
= tory and dissecting room. lie had taken M
I person into his confidence; he was alone in hi.
: own counsel.
At dark OF the following evening, he lssuet
f forth, muffled to the eyes in wouan's mantle
3 and hood, and left note at Don Alva's habl
s tatioa, containing An embroidered glove of Is
: abella's and these words
: 81 have Obtained the key to Vesale's labora
C tory during his absence; be at the gate TN bou
!. after midnight, aud you will be admitted oil
|, pronouncing the name of Isabella"
u The assignatiou was promptly kept by Dol
Alya. At an hour past midnight ho left hi
4 house alone, but he mover returned to it,
r. Whittier he bad gone none could say; nor couiC
: any trace of him be discovered. 1t was sup
# posed he must have missed his footiDg aud ia.
IL leu in the Guadlquiyer, near which his abode
!, Was situated, aud that bis body had ben swep
away by the waves of the ocean.