Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-12
WAS IT A MURDERS
Horrible Experience of a Famous
 English Surgeon.
Why Sir George Mcdonald Onco Upon . Time Gave Up tho Practice of Ills Profession for Fivo Years-Dis-
 secting n Living Man.

Time Gave Up the Practice of His
 Profession for Fivo Years-Dis-
 secting Living Man.
 When the Duke of Sutherland was on his way to Florida last fall he had with him a medical gentleman who, besides his great knowledge of medicine, was tirst-class raconteur. He amused the Dukes party with many anecdotes of English celebrities, says the Atlanta Constitution. One day he told the following story to explain why Sir George Mcdonald, the celebrated surgeon, had given up the practice ot his profession for five years just when five years practice was most valuable to him.
 "When Sir George McDonald," he said, "began his medical career the fates seemed to smile on him. From the time he entered Edinburgh University he was recognized as man of genus, and the great eminence to which he has raised himself was confident ly predicted both by his professors and his fellow students. He knew that q few years after he graduated professors chair would be waiting for him, and in the still moro distant future were visions of wealth and honor incalculable. Suddenly 1t was reported through Edinburgh that Mcdonald, the promising young surgeon, was suffer- ng from nervous prostration, and then the uC"S lOlAONCu CltIC uC udu JuIO" II dSluC HIS brilliant career and would practice the pro- fession no more. The news was true. One night Mcdonald went home an enthusiastic surgeon, and when next seen he was evi- dently born down by some great secret griet, and the mention of surgical opera ton seemed to fill him with horror. He went abroad and for five years he remained wanderer without occupation. Then he was persuaded to return to Edinburgh and resume his profession.
 ''One afternoon as Dr. Mcdonald was leaving the lecture hall of the university he was approached by a well known purveyor of subjects and told that a man had died suddenly the day before of what was sup posed to be heart disease, and for certain 1 consideration the body might be obtained. After few minutes conversation Nc Donald walked on and the purveyor hurried l off to attend to his ghastly business
 ''That night, just as the moon was rising over the top of the Edinburgh houses. aD l apparently empty wagoH with two men or | the seat, drove up to Dr. McDonald's house. 1 After careful look about one of the men | gave low whistle, and almost immediately | a window on the ground floor was opened. Against this window the wagon was backed, | and the two men lifted long, heavy | object, wrapped in a sheet, and passed it | into the house. The sound of money chang | ing hands followed; then the window was | closed and tho wagon was driven hastily l away.
 "In lifting the heavy bundle the wrap l pings had been disturbed, and when Dr. Mcdonald turned from closing the window | the moonlight was shining on the pallid face of 0 corpse. Quickly he lit number | of lights and then drew heavy curtain. l From one side of the room he pushed a long table, on which were dark stains, showing that 1t had been used many times before. On this he lifted his purchase and carefully examined it. It was the body of man in the prime of life, and except that 'rigor mortis had set in, and that every joint was like a bar of iron, the man looked as though he were asleep There were no signs of wasting dis | ease His face was full, and, except for it's ghastly palor, looked as it did in life. It was evident the man had died suddenly, and heart disease was the doctors speciality. From a chest Mcdonald brought his instru- | ments and glasses, his little basins and spongcs, and laid them out in order by the side of the corpse. The subject died of heart disease, and so the heart was tho part to be examined. Just as the knife touched the mans breast Dr. McDonald sprang back with q startled look. Was it possible that the eyelids had quivcrcd9 No; it was only some passing draft which had made the light flicker over the dead face, but still he would make sure. There was no pulse, every thing proved the man was dead be- yond peradventure Then he proceeded with hls dissection. Slowly and carefully he removed the outer skin. Then two ribs and part of the breast bone were taken out and laid aside. At last the diseased heart, which had been the cause of death, lay revealed. All thls had taken time and the doctor was hungry. He put his instru- ments aside and from a closet produced a lunch which he ate, throwing occasional glances at the body on the table. When he l had finished he resumed his work. The heart to bo properly examined must be re- moved, and this he proceeded to do. He cut round the great organ of life and was about to take it from the body when he chanced to look up. Then slowly and as if 3 every movement was physical torture he , strengthened himself. The halr on his head
 began to rise and his eyes were rlveted on the
 face of the subject. The last time he noticed that face the eyes were closed, and it was the expressionless face of the dead; now all was changed. The eyes were open and :, were glarng at hlm with horrid expres @ sion of reproach. At the same instant the ] body on the table rose slowly to sitting t posture, and the perfect stiffness of the n room seemed broken by q single whispered
 word, murderer With his eyes glued tc the mutilated form Dr. Mcdonald staggered
 back until he felt the wall behind him anC
 could retreat no further. For full two sec 0 onds those eyes glared at the doctor, and | the air seemed to resound with that awful q accusation. In that time he realized that .- the man never had been dead, and ha6 known and felt every event of that horrible | night. Then the mutilated body fell back Shriek after shriek filed the house. The e sleeping family, awakened by this dreadful tt noise, rushed down. They found Dr. Nc ). Donald just outside his office door, with hi: Il arms stretched out, barring the passage k Don't go in! Don't go inr he shrieked :. and then fell insensible Before daylight
 the same two men backed their wagon l against the doctors window, and the bun
 de, wrapped in sheet, was passed out tt
 them, but Dr. Mcdonald was delirious up e stairs.'
 Now Signal of Distress.
 A new nautical distress signal has beer