The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-02-22
DEAD, YET ALIVE.
PHILADELPHIA DOCTORS ExTRAoRDr
NARY CONFESSION.

PHILADELPHIA DOCTORS ExTRAoRDr-
NARY CONFESSION.
Fifteen years ago this March Henry
Bastian, then an intelligent colored boy
OF seventeen, was servant in the house of
afairly prominent Philadelphia physician,
who was regarded by his professional
brethren as man of rather eccentric
ideas. He made diseases of the mind his
speclalty-or more properly speaking his
one peculiar hobby-and dabbled in the
unrecognized sciences of psychology and
mesmerlsm. The boy Henry was singu-
LARRY apt for one of his years, and took
the greatest delight in arguing with his
master on such subjects, and in gaining
general knowledge of medicine and
surgery whenever the opportunity Of
fered.
Two years ago the physician died,
leaving behind him strange story of
how this youthful enthusiasm proved to
be the lads mental ruin and caused him
to become a living physical organism,
but bereft OF everything that made him
accountable to his maker or his fellow
man. The history of the case is probably
without parallel in medical annals. It
was secured with great difficulty, and
then in such fragmentary form as to be
without consecutiveness. Careful fitting
and dove-tailing, however, reveal coolly
premeditated and carefully executed
crime, not punishable under any statute,
although in fact murder without kill
Ing the physical body. In a diary of
1869, belonging to tho dead physician,
under date of March 8, was found the
following entry, which is probably the
starting point for what follows:
"Henrys theory about superiuous brain
cells is certainly novel, and if the boy
were not so precocious I would laugh at
It, There may be something in it, but
how can it be proven2"
Under the date of March II is found a
second entry, which very clearly indi-
Gates the train of thought into which the
writer was drifting. Comparative
anatomy" he says. "does not go far
enough. Henry's crude suggestion has
awakened within me an entirely new set
Of ideas. All l need now is subject.
can see already great future for my
self and greater benefit to science A
subject is all that is needed"
Between March II and March 81 the
leaves of the diary are, with the excep-
ton of some irrelevant memoranda,
blank, and under the latter date are
written the following words: eff he is
perfectly willing, l see no reason why
should hesitate. l can certainly stop,
should any ill effect appear"
The leaves of the diary from the last
named date up to April were torn out
and missing. They evidently contained
some conclusion, for on April 2 the doc
tor writes: cit will be better for me to
act alone in this matter. If anything be
proven, the credit belongs to me alone.
# any risk be incurred, / alone should
bear it,
A partial explanation of this entry is
found under subsequent date, April 9,
out which in all probability had been
written previously. sit is strange says
he physician, 'sthat the very came
hought should be possessed by both of
is at one time. Henry knows perfectly
veil what danger may arise. l feel that
le is thoroughly sincere. I am unwil-
ing to do the lad harm, but such an OPP
,ortunity-" and here the thought alb
uptly ends. On the same page, lower
Town, are few words evidently put
Town some days later: at must be, or
Use I'll begin to think I'm getting weak
md childish"
April II chronicles the following: cam
low thoroughly convinced that the ope-
alton can be performed without the
llghtest danger. Inflammation is about
he only thing care about now, and that
8 easy enough to control. If there does
xist particular CELL the seat of some
'articular passion, it can be sacrificed,
without injury to the structure as a
Whole. Superfluous cells cannot exist,
tut, thank God, the boys foolish sug-
.eestion. will, hope, result in grand I
discovery. am perfectly satisfied
1t is difficult to determine whether the
ates given are the dates on which the
ntries were made, because the next re-
ord that would follow in natural order
on January 3d. 1t says: II will pray
Tod this night to direct my arm on the
oming morrow 50 that | may be brave
nd strong; it is not sacrifice, and |
ave no more hesitation"
1t would seem from these memoranda
nat the physician had studied over the
later for some weeks before he concluded
} make an attempt to remove a portion ,
healthy human brain simply as an .
Experiment.. That he did make the at !,
,mpt, and did succeed in accomplishing ,
he object, is proven by an entry made .
nder date of May 80. Stripped of the ,
reater part of its technical verbiage, the ,
istoly of the operation is as follows: .
feel that l have brought down the
,ger of heaven upon my head in at
'mpting to tamper with the noblest part ,
the Creators handiwork. Henry Bas- !
an, who has been beneath my roof since :
still lives. He exists, he ,
reathes, he digests, but that is all. .
C is no longer an entity, and !,
7 my hand. To you, my beloved :
ife, confide this horrible secret, and :
beg of you to do all you can to prevent /,
y memory from being furnished, be- !
luse feel the grave to be near. You
i'll now know why the lad was sent to /;
! asylum. 1t was because his presence :
as to me constant knife in my soul. !
now then, dear -, that three !.
onths ago yesterday (this is an unex- r
ainable discrepancy 81 determined to !
'rform an act which would make me 7
nous in the eyes of the scientific world. !,
has made me infamous in the eyes of 9