The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1884-01-03
The Fatal Draught.

basin. The story was Of professional
nature, and nothing will give it
credence so well as the fact that the
surgeon has an established practice in
st. Louis, and is a gentleman of repu-
tation. With this III view it may not
be out Of place to give the points of
the narrative, which he related with
circumstantiality.
Geologist Brayton was speaking of
pebbles of agate. chalcedonv, wood opal
and quartz found about the Yellowstone
region, and more particularly in the
goodies, which are numerous IN the vicin-
ity of the great moraines in Paradise
valley.
Very wonderful are those same
geodes," said the surgeon, "and with
knowledge of them it is not 50 very
difficult to account for the chalcedony
and the wood petrificstions hereabout."
Two of the passengers in the stage as
we were driving toward the Mammoth
Hot springs alighted and went aside to
gather specimens. The driver had halted
to let his horses rest, and the view
Was SO pleasing that none of rs
were in hurry to move forward.
The passenger that l refer to picked
up geode, broke it, and finding it con-
tanned a crystal fluid, drank the con-
tents The driver called out, we took
our places in the stage and started on.
In short time the passenger who had
drank the crystal fluid from the geode
began to ctt strangely. 1t was evident
that he was sick, though he made no
complaint. His actions distressed the
other passengers, and as his mGlady
grew upon him it was thought best to
place him in wAyside hut, and one of
the stage hands with blankets, and 1
with my case of medicines and instru-
ments, staid to attend him. The coach
with the other passengers drove on.
MY patients behavior was singular;
/ have noted down the symptoms and
the peculiarities and will give them as
they occurred
Here the surgeon read the particu
lars of the diagnosis and his deductions
therefrom, the facts being that the
patients limbs stifened, voice disap-
peared, eyelids became fixed, the eyes
staring, and an uncommon rigor over
came the body. All medicines were
futile. and death ensued:in the course of
an hour.
In the interests of science" the sur
geon continued, II felt it my duty to at
once get light upon so peculiar a case
and undertook post norton examina-
ton, Mr.. Fraser, the stage hand, assist
ing me.
One after another my instruments
became dulled, and by the light of the
candle discovered that the body was
fast turning into hard substance, the
heart, the lungs, the vital parts and the
veins being soliditied. l FASTENED the
work as much as possible, and by mid
night had laid open the parts in such
way as to show perfectly the situation
OF the organs in the diaphragm. Next
morning at daylight we discovered that
the body was in a kiir way to become
petrifed. The hardening process be-
gan interiorly, and the heart and
organs of circulation were quite
strong, retaining, withai, their normal
color. Pressure upon the surface of
the cuticle made some impression, but
of an unelastic character: such dents
as might be caused by bearing down
heavily on sheet lead. Knowing all the
circumstances, concluded that the
fluid contained in the geode had in
duced the petrihcation it had gone
into the circulation, and so rapid was
the hardening process that question
whether the man suffered any pain.
AS Mr. Fraser was fearful that the
authorities might subject him to deten
ton pending an inquiry into the death
of the patient. | agreed TO his request
that the body should he concealed until
such time as it could be removed to
some medical college-agreed to it all
the more readily. as | Judged that in a
little while longer IT would be turned
completely into stone. The hair alone
remains without apparent change. L
shall have a great curiosity to take
home to ST. Louis"
Are Won sure. doctor. that YOU we're
not imposed upon Ivy being asked to
treat medical manikin-one of those
papier mache statues which are used to
enhghten students OF anatomy" re-
marked Mack
Ii the doctor were not so exceed
inely temperate in all things" said Viii
son, Il should advance the theory that
he drank from his medicine chest
something which induced this night
mare about a gcode.'
Il look chiefly at the commercial
point. said Barnes; IF the liquid in the
goodies will turn human flesh to stone.
why won't it transform other sub
stances into precious stones? Why
could not chemistry get at the ingredi.
ents of this wonderful fluid We nigh.
make diamonds and rubies at Will. Tho
philosophers stone is nowhere to the
/ paraliso Nallav ren.le "