The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-08-29
WILLING TO SUFFER.
OVER A HUNDRED MEN OFFER TO DIE
FOR $1,000.

| Aoswers ia a Singular Advertisement In
| New York Newspaper-A Hundred and
| rortv.two Men Who Volunteered For tho
| 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 advor-
tisement, which appeared In the New YORK
| World OF July 30:
wanted-A man who viii DO willing for
| consideration Of 5000 to submit TO an expert
mental surgical operation that may possibly
| provo fatal Address Surgeon. Uptown World
! Once.
This advertisement was inserted by Pro
| lessor Edwin 7. Osbaldeston, surgeon and
| instructor in massage at rs West Forty
sixth street. He did not insert 1t for HIM
self. but on behalf OF two physicians living
in Guayaouil Ecuador, South America.
One is an American. formerly a resident OF
Boston: the other native Ecuadorean and
a graduate OF the Lima university.
"Twice before" said the professor to
reporter, "haye been called upon to fur
nish subject Oh whom these doctors could
experiment. The first occasion was some
time In the latter part Of 1888, when only33
appIied. The second was Ia 1890, when III
letters were received from people willing
10 sacrifice themselves in the interests OF
science and their own financial advance
ment."
And how did these experiments turn
out?"
1.-THE first man survived; the second died.
II was at the time when the bacillus craze
was at its height. lie was inoculated with
the germs of some twoscore diseases, and he
died a frightful death"
"And what is the nature OF the present
experiment"
at is simply to cut hole in the stomach
OF the subject, through which the action OF
the gastric juices and the processes OF di-
gcstion may be watched"
"Why that is the Alexis st. Martin case
ell over again" interjeeted the reporter.
precisely But that happened consider
ably more than half q 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-
tons that would never have occurred to
r..
On St. Martin clamor today for an answer.
That answer can only be obtained by ex-
perirnents on the living subject In the In
terests OF medical advancement the doctors
of whom / speak have collected fund,
and 5000 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 l
walked TO the uptown Office of The World
and found 1s2 answers awaiting me. They
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 we're
evidently men Of good education and social
standing. For the comparatively trihing
sum of 8, 900 these men were willing 70
submit to a terrible surgical operation that
must cause great bodily suffering and pos
sibly be followed by crippled body or
even death itself Iadeed, | think the
chances of the patient surviving only about
even"
And did you make n satisfactory selec-
tion"
Entirely wanted strong healthy
man, with a constitution that would give
him fighting chance for his life. paid no
attention to the married men, for l did not
want man with the responsibility of a
| family upon his shoulders. ! wanted him
| 10 have as few relatives as possible. | sue
oeeded in f1ding man who had no rela-
lions whatever and who otherwise fulfilled
all the requirements
who was herr
IL DO not care to give bis name, for one
| 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 Of
| age He Is feet ~ inches high. He is all
| muscle and can easily lift 2O4 pounds with
out bending his knees. He has a fierce
| bulldog expression. He Is well known in
newspaper circles, for he furnishes sporting
news every now and then to the papers. In
summer he tends bar at popular resort.
| His ambition is to have n lager beer ss-
loon in connection with boxing gymna-
SUM. asked him how it was that man
of such varied accomplishments was not
| able to raise so trining a sum as 5000.
why, professor he said, our way OF liv-
ing is very expensive II we earn 81,
| VIC tdNt W nljtLl ~ tfhNo ttbbhG Jul
chummies, or VIC would be unpOpu-
lar Have you no fear' | next asked.
Fear VIVA. do you mean? am no reli-
| gious man don't mind death il it comes
easy, and guess those doctor fellows know
| how to let you down easy IL they find you
must CO. Yes, said !, but suppose you
come out OF the ordeal with a ruined con-
stitutionT Well, replied he, 4 am willing
to take the risk. Five thousand dollars
viii set me up nicely in business, and can
| get somebody else to tend to the hard part
of the work even If am disabled
''Well, the long and short Of it is" con-
tinued the professor, IL accepted the man
AMI shipped him off to South America. IL
the operation were performed in New York,
he would not be the only person who would
run n risk In the matter Here If the man
were to die under the surgeons knife there
is little doubt that the doctors would be in
dicted for manslaughter in the second de-
gree. The laws OF Ecuador, however, do
not seem TO take cognizance of the offense."
New York World.