Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-11-30
BLooD-CURllNs.
Incidents in the Experience of Young
Physicians.
Sights in the Desecting-ROOm;- -Badly
Scared by an 0wI---Victim ola Praetl-
cal Joke---SimuIation Sub
ject for Dissection.
Philadelphia Press.

PRiLaGelp6d Press.
when l was at the University OF -
several years ago" said youthfullookins
physician, 81 had been working very hard
from the beginning of the session until some
time in February, when my eyes COM
menced to give me great deal of trouble
and my physicians forbade my studying at
night until they should get better. Having
nothing TO do at night, and being a perfec.
owl, thought l could not spend the early
parts of the nights better than improving
nv knowledge OF human anatomy in the
dissecting-room. The anatomical rooms at
the University are about two hundred yards
from any house in which people live, and
were only open during the afternoon. lex
planned my position to the professor OF
anatomy and obtained his consent to work
there alone at night. He said at the same
time that he did not consider it very cheer
full place to enjoy ones self alone, and that
| was the first student who had ever worked
there at hight Then the janitor assured
me that he had often gone to the disseeting-
room in the morning and found some OF the
subjects moved from their position Of the
previous afternoon; and, although he had
been ianitor of the desecting-rOom for more
fifteen years, he could not be induced to
60 there alone at night.
II said, however, that / was determined
to do the work, if had to tie the subject TO
the table to keep him from going away. So
| bought lamp and sent it over BY the
ianitor. / worked on for week or so
without being disturbed BY any post-mortem
hyeliness on the part OF the subject, and
really liked the idea Of working apart from
a horde of noisy medical students and the
unwelcome interruptions of the demoustra-
tor. And | could work much more salts
factorily, too; l could STOP when | felt like
il, and sit and study. Learned a great deal
of anatomy in that way and my subsequent
courses in New York were much easier tor
that night work.
n
One night had gone to the room about
s o'clock, and worked on until IL, when ii
commenced 10 rain furiously | had no
umbrella, and had to wait until the storm
vas over or get wet | did not care to risk
The latter, and took up my 'Gray's Anatomy
10 while away the time read 1t until |
was tired, and it seemed to be. raining
harder than ever Then, for the first time
he ianiror stories occurred to me. sat
and thought about them until almost had
an attack of horrors, and even tried to tor
get them BY reading more anatomy
Several times | was on the point of going
home in spite Of the rain, but | knew that
nv room mate would insist that | had been
frightened into taking water. Finally.
about o'clock, my nerves had become
strung TO the highest pitch, and | started
whenever a rat would run across the floor
| | was really uncomfortable, and was just
thinking | would 60 to my room at any
rate. when suddenly something struck the
window behind me with terrific force, and
seemed determined TO remove the glass
sash and all TO get at me. The whole Eng
fish language cannot express how thorough
| ly frightened was.
The window was Immediately behind
me, quite small and about FIVE feet from the
| floor. was sitting on a high stool, close
! 10 the table, with my book propPed up
! against a subject; between me and the op
posite wall were four or FIVE tables, on each
of which was a subject. How managed to
! get from BY position behind That table to the
! opposite side OF the room have never been
! able TO determine At any rate when re-
! covered by equilibrium | was standing be-
| hind the table across the room, holding
large cartilage knife in my hand. But the
! window was still rafting at a furious rate,
and was certain that | could distinguish
something white moving rapidly over it. ]
stood dumbfouuded, with my eyes absolute
" hanging ont on my cheeks Finally,
and it seemed fully century, the white OBJ
iect began 10 move mere slowly and then
disappeared, with gliding motion from the
window. | hurled my knife at it as 1t
passed away, breaking the window. The
next morning large snowy owl was found
near BY. The great bird had vainly sought
refuge from the storm, attracted By the lights
in the dessecting room.
Although vas terribly frightened that
time never felt the least hesitation about
cting into the room aiterward Now go on
Sith your story.
The Second students Story.
81 90 not know whether my experience
was more frightful than yours or not. AT
any rate am satisfied with it. ItoOk my
FIRST course of medicine at - Medical
College, in the Winter of 1857. was q
green country boy of Is, and had never re-
Ssrded dessecting room as q good place
for spending the night. But our room was
open until 10 o'clock at night, and my time
10 work was from until TO- For the first
three weeks / did not mind it at all, or at
least, very little, for always had company.
But on a certain memorable night there
was not another man in the room after 3.
The other students had agreed to 60 away
and leave me alone At first thought Sc
riously of going with them, but 1t seemed SO
silly to run away from dead people that l
stayed. regretted afterward that | did not
The peculiar feeling which you de-
scribed came over me, and / had begun to
wish for a dog or something else to to keep
me company, when [ heard a noise, and,
looking up hastily, / saw something which
took my breath away. Within ten feet OF
me was table, upon which was subject
covered with the usual sheet, and that sheet
was moving as though the subject was de-
termined to get up and come after me.
There was no mistake about it; the sheet
was moving or being moved at a very lively
rate. could almost feel the hair trying
to get out of my head. / looked at it and
the motion continued. i could not have
moved if my lie had depended upon it
The dead body seemed to be having a
regular CONFUSION under that cloth, and
finally one foot seemed to get out out and
then the other. Ny lower jaw seemed "a
hang down to my waist and | was in the
agony ofterror. Then the head got OF
from under the sheet That Mortified me
into strength, and seizing leg bone
threw it with all the force that l could com
mand at that moving covering. Then the
motive mower. in the shape of four or i've