The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-03-11


his home. When I entered the
room Grace was lying on a low
couch, her face, framed IN by the
great masses of brown, wavy hair
which lay loose on the pillow,
startled me by its deauh-like APP
pearance. AS l approached the
bedside, she was seized by a violent
paroxysm of coughing. When her
who had raised her slightly
during the continuance of the par
laid her back again upon the
pillow L saw that her lips were
fiecked with a dark crimson stain,
and l knew that Grace had but a
few brief hours to live.
l remained with the family dur
ing the night, watching the culmi-
nation Of the disease. Hope of ulti-
mate recovery. or even a prolonga-
ton of life, for the patient, 1 could
not give the sorroWing parents.
All my skill, [ too well knew, would
be unavailiLg to snatch the loved
one back from the grasp of ruthless
death. l could only strive to NIT
gate the pain of her final passage
into that dark echoless valley into
which all must eventually grOpe
their way. AS the night advanced,
the paroXysmg of coughing grew
more frequent and painful, the ex-
pectoTati0ns of the vital fluid more
prOfuse. At last, in the grey of the
early dawn, when the first faint
streaking from the approaching
orb of day was lighting up the east
ern horizon, an unusually severe fit
of coughing cenvulsed the slight,
enfeebled frame; a crimson stream
poured from the ashen lips. A
blood vessel had been ruptured
and after few faiut,gasping strug-
giles for breath Grace Rs lay
within her mothers encircling
arms motionless and lifeless. Her
were over, her SoIrOWing
heart at rest. The apparent cause
of her death was pbtbGSiS pllnol1G.
Jas. I.felt convinced then as l am
now, that the true case of her death
was broken heart.
Several years have elapsed since the
of these events. Ralph's
parents, unable to win him back
from the evil course into which he
had strayed, sold out their property
and removed to a distant part of
the territory, taking with them
their ruined, besotted son. They
had hopes that removal from the
daily temptation which beset him in
the city. and total separation from
the society of his depraved associ-
ates might work cure where all
other influences had failed. I had
almost forgotten the sad story, when
a few days ago the incidents were
forcibly recalled to my memory. [
was called on to attend a stranger
who had fallen in a fit on the street.
When l reached the house whittier
he had been carried life was extinct:
but the moment [ looked into his
haggard, emaciated face ] recog-
niZed the features Of Ralp D.. He
had wandered back to his old haunts
and death had Overtaken him on
the very day Of his arrival in the
city. Being an entire stranger in
the city | was enabled to secure the
body to subserye the purpose of
science-ln my estimate the very
best use that our bodies can be put
to after the vital spark has fled.
The story was ended, and the doc
tor prevented any discussion on the
subject by announcing that it was
time to adjourn to the other room
and begin the lecture. The room
was dimly lighted when we entered,
but the doctor turned on the gas,
filling the apartment with bril-
liant flood of light. The subject lay
upon long table directly under
the chandelier, its outlines plainly
visible beneath the white sheet
which covered it from head to loot.
The doctor took up a position at
the right side Of the body, and we
students gathered in a group at the
left side. When all had taken their
places the doctor drew down the
sheet and then began: Gentlemen,
this subject, from the testimony of
those who last saw him in life, was
in the apparent enjoyment of good
health. The probable cause of his
sudden demise was some affection
of the heart. To determine the true
cause of death we now make this
post norton examination. On in
spectiOn, we find that the body is of
a moderately good muscular devel-
0pment; somewhat emaciated, with
no external evidence of disease. TIE
make an inspection of the internal
viScera situated in the thorax,
we will make an incision in
the meridian line of the body;
lift off the skin and muscular tissues
and cut through the cartila age of
the ribs. We are then enabled to
lift the breast bone and expose
the peri cardium" The doctor raised
the disecting knife, slowly run
ming the dexter finger of the left
hand down the center of the breast
as if marking the line for the first
incision, while we gathered closer
around the dissecting table, our
whole attention absorbed in the IN
teresting operation about to be per
formed. AS the knife was descend
ing to make the first incision, soft
sigh-like sound swept through the
room. The lights fared and flick
cred as if disturbed by slight gust
of wind, and we distinctly heard a
rustling noies near the head of the
table, such a noise as might be pro-
duceu by the draDery of a famoI5 j.,