Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-02
awake and not the victim of some cruel

nightmare.
''The fact remained, however, that I
lay helpless on the dissecting table, that
threatening skeleton stood in the cor
ner of the room, and, above all, that
terrible conversation which l had to
listen to in silence filled me with fear
such as had never before experienced.
lnvoluntarily the thought forced itself
upon me that / was at the mercy of two
infatuated doctors, to whose mad theory
should here fall the victim.
81 said to myself that no doctor with
sound mind would propose such a
frightful and murderous experiment
upon living man.
"The two doctors now approached the
dissecting table and looked calmly into
my face; then, smiling, took off their.
coats and tucked up their sleeves. l
struggled to get free, as only desper-
ate man under such extraordinary cir
cumstances could have struggled. In
vain. Their long acquired experience
knew how to render me completely help
less, and to their satisfaction / could
not even make a sound.
''Dr. Engler now turned to side table,
and saw him open chest of surgical
instruments and take out lancet, with
which he returned to me. He at once
removed the covering from my right
thigh, and although lay bound to the
table in such way that / could not see
my limbs was able to watch the doc
tor, busted with his preparations.
Directly after removing the cloth
felt prick in the side of my leg, and at
once felt the warm blood rush forth and
trickle down my leg. The conviction
that he had opened the principal vein
in the thigh would have sufficed to shake
the strongest nerves.
"' There is no danger said DR.. Eng
Ter. looking into my staring, protruding
eyes with terrible calnlness. You will
not die, my good man. | have only
opened an artery in your thigh, and you
will experience all the sensations of
bleeding to death. You will get weaker
and weaker, and finally, perhaps, lose
all consciousness, but we shall not let
you die. No, no! You must live and
astonish the scientific world through my
great discovery
81 naturally could say nothing in re-
ply, and no words can adequately ex-
press what felt at that moment.
could in one breath have wept, i'm
plored, cursed and raved.
meanwhile felt my life's blood flow.
ing and could hear it drop into vessel
standing under the end of the table.
Every moment the doctor laid his hand
on my heart, at the same time making
remarks which only increased my hor-
ror.
AFTER he had put his hand on me for
at least the twentieth time, and felt the
beating of the heart, he said to his as
sistant:
"'Are you ready with your prepara-
tions, Langner? He has now lost an en-
ormous quantity of blood, and the pulsa-
ton is getting weaker and weaker. See,
he is already losing consciousness and
with these words he took the gag out of
my mouth.
"a feeling of deadly weakness as well
as of infinite misery laid hold of me
when the physician uttered these words,
e'hA VI my dItChiptLlS W speak L IOunQ
that scarcely a whispering murmnr
passed my lips. Shadowy phantoms and
strange colors fitted before my eyes,
and ! believed myself to be already in
state past all human aid.
"What happened in the next few min
utes do not know, for l had tainted.
When | reopened my eyes noticed no
longer lay on the dissecting table, but
was sitting in an armchair in a com
Portable room, near which stood the two
doctors looking at me.
"Near me was flask of wine, several
smelling salts, a few basins of cold
water, some sponges and galvanic bat
terry. 1t was now bright daylight, and
the two doctors smiled as they looked at
me.
"When remembered the terrible ex-
pertinent shuddered with horror and
tried to rise. felt too weak, however,
and sank back helpless into the chair.
Then the circuit physician, in friendly
but firm voice, addressing me:
Compose yourself, young man. You