The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-07-22

accident befallen me, SO that surgical
operation was necessary for my recov-
cry? But ! remembered nothing of the
kind, and also felt no pain; neverthe-
less here lay stripped and helpless, on
this terrible table, gagged and bound,
which indicated something extraordi-
nary.
at astonished me not little that
there should be such an operation room
in such a house, until l remembered
that DIR. Langner, as the district ply
stefan, had to carry out the post-mor-
TEN examinations for the circuit, and
that in the small provincial town no
other room was available for such a
purpose. felt too miserable, how
ever, to think anything more about it.
But soon noticed, after another vain
effort to free myself, that 1 was not
alone in the room, for heard the rust
ling of paper, and then some one SAID,
in quiet measured tones:
"'Yes, Langner, ] am quite convinced
that this man is particularly suited for
the carrying out of my highly impor-
tant experiment. How long have
been wishing to make the attempt-at
last, tonight, shall be able to produce
the proof of my theory
THAT would indeed be high tri-
umph of human skill heard second
voice reply; but consider, dear doctor,
if that man there were to expire under
our hands-what then?'
impossible" was the quick reply.
1T is bound TO succeed, and even If il did
not, he will die a glorious death in the
interests of science: whilst, if we were
to let him go, he would sooner or later
fall into the hands of the hangman.'
II could not even see the two men,
yet their conversation was doubtless
about me; and, hearing it, / shuddered
from head to foot. They were propos-
ing some dangerous operation on me,
not for my benefit, but in the interests
of medical science!
cat any rate, thought, they won't
undertake such a thing without my
sanction; and what, after ALL was their
intention? 1t must be something terri
BILE, for they had already mentioned the
possibility of my succumbing. | should
soon know the fearful truth, for, after
short pause, they continued:
at has long been acknowledged
that the true source of life lies in the
blood. What l wish to prove, dear
Langner. is this. Nobody need die from
pure loss of blood, and yet such cases
occur only too often, whilst we must
all the time be in possession of means
to renew this highly important sap of
life, and thus avoid fatal result. We
read of a few, but only few, cases of
man who for some reason or other has
lost so much blood that his death ap-
peared inevitable, if some other noble
hearted man had not offered his own
blood, in order to let it flow from his
veins into the veins of the dying man.
AS you are aware, this proceeding has
slider it, however, a great mistake to
deprive fellow-being of necessary
blood, for the one thereby only gains
life and strength at the cost of another,
who offers himself for an always dan
gerous sacrifice
either replied Dr. Langner. And,
moreover. how seldom is man found
at the critical moment ready to submit
himself at once to such a dangerous
loss of blood.
THAT is very natural; no one light
ly undertakes such a thing continued
the other. so much greater will be
our triumph if the operation succeeds.
I hope to show you, dear colleague, that
although we are thinking of taking
that mans blood, even to the last drop,
in few hours we shall set him on his
feet again.
"'Just so! do not see why we
should not succeed. AT any rate, in the
interests of science we should prove in
a practical manner the correctness of
our theory
"'And this proof, dear friend, we will
undertake without delay. Let me just
repeat my instructions, for we cannot
go to work too carefully to preserve the
life of this man. l will open vein in
his thigh and measure exactly the guam
tity of blood which flows out. at the
same time watching the beating of the
heart. Under ordinary circumstances
nothing could possibly save him: but
just before the extinction of the last
spark of life we will insert the warm
blood of Il living rabbit into his veins,
as we have already arranged. If my
theory is right the pulsation of the
heart will then gradually increase in
strength and rapidity. At the same
time it is important to protect his limbs
from cold and stiff ness, which will nat
urally take place with the loss of all
arterial blood
The conversation of the two doc tors
overwhelmed me with deadly terror. |
could scarcely believe | was really
awake. and not the victim of some cruel
nightmare.
The fact remained, however, that |
lay helpless on the dissecting table, that
n threatening skeleton stood in the cor
ncr of the room. and, above all. that
terrible conversation which l had TO
listen to in silence filed me with a fear
such as had never before experienced.
involuntarily the thought forced itself
upon me that | was at the mercy of two
infatuated doctors, to whose mad theo-
ry | should here fall the victim.
Il said to myself that no doctor with