The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-05-11
The Case Of N. Valdemar.
From first page.

NJ
ileArly SO ana repos:d on Jne bed ut a
moderate distance from the loins The
head was very slightly elevated.
When had accomplished this, it was
fully midnight. and | requested the gen.
tlemen present to examine NJ. Valdemar's
condition. After few experiments they
admitted him to be in an unusually perfect
state of mesmeric trance. The curiosity
of both the physicians was greatly ex-
cited. DR.. D. resolved at once to re-
main with the patient at night. while
DR.. F. took leave with promise to
return at daybreak Mr., LII and the
nurses remained.
We left M. Valdemar entirely undis-
turbed until about o'clock in the morn
ing. when approached him and found
him in precisely the same condition as
when DR.. F. went away-that is to
say. he lay in the same position. The
pulse was imperceptible. the breathing
was gentle scarcely noticeable, unless
through the application.of a mirror to
the hps). the eyes were closed naturally,
and the limbs were as rigid and as cold
as marble. Still the general appearance
was certainly not that of death.
AS approached M. Valdemar made
kind Of half effort to influence his right
arm into pursuit of my own, as passed
the latter gently to and fro above his
person. In such experiments with this
patient l had never perfectly succeeded
before, and assuredly had little thought
of succeeding now, but to my astonish-
ment his arm very readily, although
feebly, followed every direction as
signed it with mine. determined to
hazard few words of conversation.
m. Valdemar." said, care you
asleep" He made no answer, but I per-
ceivA a trem.r about the lips and was
thus induced to repeat the question
again and again. At it's third repeti-
ton his whole frame was agitated by a
very slight shivering: the eyelids un-
closed themselves so far as to display a
white line Of bail; the lips moved slug
gishly, and from between them, in a
barely audible whisper, issued the words:
eyes asleep now. Do not wake me
let me die sor'
here felt the limbs and found them as
rigid as ever. The right arm, as before.
obeyed the direction of my hand. Iques-
toned the sleep walker again:
''Do you still feel pain in the breast.
M. Valdemar?:'
The answer now was immediate. but
even less audible that before:
mo pain-I am dying"
did not think it advisable to disturb
him further just then, and nothing more
was said or done until the arrival Of DR..
F., who came a little before sunrise,
and expressed unbounded establishment
at finding the patient still alive. After
feeling the pulse and applying mirror
to the lips, he requested me to speak to
the sleep walker again. I did SO, saying:
IN. Vafdemar. do you still sleep~
As before. some minutes elapsed ere a
reply was made, and during the interval
the dying man seemed to be collecting
his energies to speak. At my fourth repe-
titiun of the question he said very faint
~, almost iaaudibly:
Eyes: still asleep. dying"
It was row the opinion, or. rather the
wish, of the physicians that NJ. Valde-
mar shouldbe suffered to remain undis-
turbed in his present apparently tran
quill condition until death should super
vene, and this. it was generally agreed.
must now take place within few min
utes. concluded, however, to speak to
him once more and merely repeated my
previous question.
While spoke there came marked
change over the countenance Of the sleep
walker. The eyes rolled themselves slowly
open, the pupils disappearing upwardly;
the skin generally assumed q cadaver-
GUS hue. resembling not so much parch-
ment as white paper, and the circular
hectic spots which hitherto had been
strongly defined in the center Of each
cheek went out at once. use this ex-
preston because the suddenness of their
departure put me in mind of nothing so
much as the extinguishment of candle
by puff Of the breath.
The upper lip at the same time writhed
itself away from the teeth, which it had
previously covered completely. while the
lower jaw fell with an audible jerk,
leaving the mouth widely extended and
disclosing in full view the swollen and
blackened tongue. presume that no
member of the party then present had
been unaccustomed to deathbed horrors,
but so hideous' beyond conception was
the appearance of M. -Valdemar at this
moment that there was general shrink
ing back from the region of the bed.
I now feel that have reached point
of this narrative at which every reader
will be star led into positive disbelief. II
is my business. however, simply to pro.
ceed..
There was no longer the faintest sigr
of vitality in NJ. Valdemar, and conclud'
ing him to be dead we were consignine
him to the charge Of the nurses when 8
strong vibratory motion was observed II
the tongue. This continued for perhaps
q minute. At the expiration of this
period there issued from the motionlest
and distended jaw q voice such as il
would be madness in me to attempt de
scribing. There are indeed two or three