The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-10-18
WILLING TO SUFFER.
OVER A HUNDRED MEN OFFER TO DIE
FOR $4,000.

AhsWers 10 Sinkuihr huNertisemeht III
New York Newspaper-A Hundred and
Forty-two Men who Volunteered For the
Surgeons Knife.
In hard times even human life is cheap.
Witness the fact that no less than 142 an
swers were received to the following adver-
tisement which appeared in the New York
World Of July 80:
Wanted-A man who will be willing for a
consideration of 5000 to submit to an expert
prove fatal. Address Surgeon, Uptown World
Office
This advertisement was inserted by Pro
fessor Edwin Z. Osbaldeston, surgeon and
instructor in massage at rs West Forty
sixth street. He did not insert it for him
self, but on behalf of two physicians living
in Guayaquil, Ecuador, South America.
One is an American formerly a resident of
Boston: the other a native Ecuadorean and
a graduate of the Lima university.
"Twice before" said the professor to
reporter, "have been called upon to fur.
nish a subject on whom these doctors could
experiment The first occasion was some
time in the latter part Of 1885, when only SO
applied The second was in 1890, when 1877
letters were received from people willing
to sacrifice themselves in the interests of
science and their own financial advance
ment.n
"And how did these experiments turn
| outY"
THE first man survived; the second died.
! 1t was at the time when the bacillus craze
was at it's height. He was inoculated with
the germs of some twoscore diseases, and he
died frightful death"
And what is the nature of the present
experiment."
1T is simply to cut hole in the stomach
Of the subject, through which the action of
the gastric juices and the processes of di.
gestion may be watched"
why, that is the Alexis St. Martin case
all over again" INTERCEPTED the reporter.
Precisely. But that happened consider.
ably more than half century ago. and
since then the advance in our knowledge OF
dietetics has been enormous With the
growth in our knowledge, as must always
! happen, comes an increased recognition OF
our ignorance A hundred and one ques.
tions that would never have occurred tc
Dr. Beaumont when he was experimenting
on st. Martin clamor today for an answer
That answer can only be obtained by ex.
periments on the living subject In the in.
terests of medical advancement the doctors
of whom | speak have collected a fund
| and $1,000 of this fund is to be given to
any man who will agree to submit to the
necessary operation"
ANY did you get many answers"
"Yes, sir; waited four days, and then
walked to the uptown Office of The World
and found 142 answers awaiting me. 1Ley
were from all parts of the country and from
| all classes of men-merchants tradesmen
artists, mechanics, professional men, nurses
and laborers. Many of the applicants wer,
evidently men of good education and socia
standing. For the comparatively trihine
sum of IS 600 these men were willing Il
submit to terrible surgical operation that
must cause great bodily suffering and pos
sibly be followed by a crippled body OIL
even death itself Indeed, ! think the
chances of the patient surviving only about
even"
And did you make satisfactory selec
tionS'
Entirely. | wanted a strong, health.
man, with a constitution that would Civ,
him a fighting chance for his life. paid NJ
attention to the married men, for did no
want a man with the responsibility of
family upon his shoulders / wanted hin
to have as few relatives as possible. | sue
tions whatever and who otherwise fulfilled
all the requirements
''Who was hei"
II do not care to give his name, for on,
of the conditions he made was that abso
lutte secrecy should be maintained. But
may say this much He was a fighting
man, a pugilist by profession, 25 years ol
age. He is feet "a inches high He is al
muscle and can easily lift 204 pounds with
out bending his knees. He has fierc,
bulldog expression. He is well known il
newspaper circles, for he furnishes sporting
news every now and then to the papers. II
summer he tends bar at a popular resort
His ambition is to have a lager beer sa
loon in connection with boxing gymna
stun. / asked him how it was that MAJ
of such varied accomplishments was no
able to raise so triaing a sum as IS 900
why, professor he said, our way of liv
ing is very expensive. If we earn 81
we have to spend rs cents among on
3 dummies, or we would be unpopu
lar Have you no fearY l next asked
Fear What do you mean? / am no reli
gious man. don't mind death if it come
easy, and guess those doctor fellows know
how to let you down easy if they find yo1
must CO. Yes said l, but suppose yo1
come out of the ordeal with a ruined con
stitutionY Well replied he, lam willing
to take the risk. Five thousand dollar
will set me up nicely in business, and ca
+ get somebody else to tend to the hard par
of the work even if am disabled
well, the long and short of it is" COL
tinued the professor, II accepted the ma
and shipped him off to South America.
! the operation were performed in New York
he would not be the only person who woul
81 run a risk in the matter Here, if the ma
were to die under the surgeons knife, theI
t is little doubt that the doctors would be il
i dicted for manslaughter in the second d.
n gree. The laws of Ecuador, however, d
not seem to take cognizance of the offense.
| New York World