Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-07-23

Ter, looking into my staring, protruding
eyes with terrible calmness. '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 snail not let
you die. No, mol You must live and
astonish the scientific world through my
great discovery
81 naturally could say nothing in re-
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 prepare
lions, 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,
and on my attempting to speak 1 found
that scarcely a whispering murmnr
passed my lips. Shadowy phantoms and
strange colors fitted before my eyes,
and | believed myself to be already in a
state past all human aid.
"What happened in the next few min
utes do not know, for | 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 a galvanic bat
terry. It 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. l felt too weak, however,
and sank back helpless into the chair.
Then the circuit physician, in a friendly
but firm voice, addressing me:
Compose yourself, young man. q !
imagined you were slowly bleeding TO
death; nevertheless, be assured that you
have not lost a single drop Of blood.
You have undergone no operation what
ever, but have simply been the victim
of your own imagination. We knew
very well you heard every word Of our
| conversation, conversation which was
only intended TO deceive You as much as
possible. What l maintained was, that a
mans body will always completely lie
under the influence of what he himself
firmly believes, while my colleague, on
the other hand, held the opinion that
the body can never be hurt by anything
which only exists in the imagination.
This has long been an open question be-
tween us, which, after your capture,
surrounded you with objects Of nature
TO influence your imagination, aided
further by our conversation; and final.
| ly, your conviction that we would real
| Iy carry out the operation of which you
heard us speak completed the deception,
"'You have now the satisfaction of
knowing that you are as safe and as
lag Az ha COZ,
we assure you that You really showed all
the symptoms Of a man bleeding to
death, proof that the body can some.
times suffer from the most absurd I'M
reality that the mind can imagine
"Astonishment, joy and doubt at find.
ing myself neither dead nor dying strug.
gled within me, and then the rage OF
having been subjected 10 such an awful
and heartless experiment by the two
doctors overcame me, was quickly
interrupted by DIR. Engler, however, on
trying TO give free scope TO my indigna.
| ton.
"'We had not exactly any right tC
] undertake such an experiment with
| YOU he said; but we thought you
would pardon us if we delivered you
from certain punishment instead OF
having to undergo painful trial and a
long imprisonment for burglary. You
are certainly at liberty 10 complain
about us; but consider, my good fellow
if such a step is in your interests. | dc
not think 50. On the other hand, we
are quite willing TO make you a fitting
compensation for all the agony you have
/ suffered
Under the circumstances" continued
George Martin, 81 considered it wise to
accept their proposal, although have
not to this day forgiven the two men fo1
so treating me.
"The doctors kept their promise.
They made me n very handsome present
and troubled themselves about me in
other ways, so that since that time ]
! have been n more fortunate and I homo