The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-07-03
CHASTITY FRANKS
Some Hair Raising Tricks Perpetrated
BY Fresh Medical Stu.
dents.
Live Body Substituted for Cadaver-
Blue Planes Shoot Prom
Skull.

dt the cOlleSe OF PHYSICIANS anu surgery
has resulted in a revelation to the au-
thorities. For several years and on many
occasions newcomers have abandoned
their studies in the same hasty manner,
though up to the present date satisfac-
tory explanation has been wanting.
The fact that the runaway novices
have been made the prey of ghostly frol-
les INDUCED in by the more advanced
students has long been established, but
while the previous efforts of the college
officials have developed this suspected
information no clue could be affixed to
the parties personally perpetuating the
FRANKS.
Now, however, secret organization
among these advanced students has been
discovered, and in consequence of this
disclosure of it's morbid object, the lead
ers of this movement, it is said, will be
dismissed from their classes. Just now
the story came to be divulged is not def
nitely known, but it is said that one OF
the conspirators broke faith.
The latest victim is a young Canadian
named William Shaw, who hailed from
Hamilton, Ont. He was critically OBJ
served by his new associates, who eyed
him suspiciously, and were not inclined
to welcome him to their confidence. On
the night of Shaw's first work in the
dissecting room he suddenly rushed
down the several flights of stairs leading
to the street, passing the doorman in
state of feverish excitement. He had left
his hat and coat, and not once did he
look behind. The next day he informed
the college officials of his intention to
return home, claiming i'll health as an
excuse.
The officials, however, were not salts
fed with his hasty resignation. The
professors we'll knew the feelings of the
students regarding the nerve" among
their companions and how they detest
associates who feared the gray walls of
the !dissecting room and it's CHASTITY in
mates when left there alone all night,
but it was a great surprise to them to
discover a regularly organized conspir-
acy to put new arrivals through regu-
lar nerve test.
This secret and grotesque organization
according to the story of one of the MEM
bers, who since the discovery sees no
reason for keeping its constitution and
bylaws quiet, was brought about by the
feeling among the college boys regard
ing the amount of nerve good surgeon
should possess. They conceived dis
like for some of the newly admitted STU
dents, who trembled at the first sight of
a corpse, and were not at all congenial
company.
1t was accordingly decided among the
hardened workers that these young stu
dents should be broken in to their feel
ings, and, like the armorer proves his
sword it was concluded to temper them
by strengthening their nerves" The
class was regularly organized in this
conspiracy, all the old members being
oathbound to allegiance
The organization was given the name
of the order ofykf1flthanwgykf, pppp
it was commonly called, 1.-The Nerve
Brothers. It's scheduled purpose was
to initiate the innocent arrival into the
necessary rough life Of practical medi-
cal students 1t might be understood
that to a greater or less extent the young
man who wishes to become anything at
the dissecting table must have as much
possession Of his nerves in handling the
knife as a woodchopper with his axe
No young man could acquire this lasting
nervous sensation at the first sight of
the human dead, however, and here is
where those students who had become so
hardened have made their mistake in
dealing with the newcomers. They for
got their own introductions at the col
lege; forgot how they acquired their sci
entific love or admiration for the aban-
doned remains of their fellow-men by
long and close association with the ca
davers.
AT the meeting of the conspirators
for the purpose Of deciding upon the
initiation of the young Canadian one
of the company proposed that some of
the older members disrobe and change
places with his subject on the night des-
ignated for the first night work in the
dissecting room when he would be ac-
companied by the instructor
volunteer was readily obtained and
all was arranged. It was learned that
Shaw was to dissect the abdomen of a
male cadaver which he was to find on
table No. 6, of room No. 8, in readiness
for his study at II o'clock. At that hour
the volunteer had changed places with
the cadaver. Shaw entered nervously.
With quickened step and feverish move
| ment he approached table No. 6.
The room was deserted, the students
having purposely neglected their studies
on this night so as not to interfere with
the initiation" knowing it would not
work unless Shaw was alone in the
room.
One solitary gas jet fiickered over the
young Canadians subject, and in ghast-
ly detail the room had the aspect of a
tomb. Shaw opened the little box of dis
secting instruments and took out a sharp
skin scalpel, which he placed between his
| fingers in readiness for the pressure of
the first delicate incision He turned up
the gaslight and quickly threw down the
clothing. completely covering his sup
posed subject above the abdomen. To
his horror, when about to touch the
body he observed the muscles of the alb
domen to rise and fall, and was hinged to
the floor for a moment, and then, seeing
| the subject commence to rise, he started
| frantically to the door.
Shaw looked back once before opening
| the door and leaving the room, and, see
| ing the supposed dead man coming to-
ward him like ghost holding a phos-
phorescent skull in one Of his hands,
which was extended upward from the
uncanny form. This was the story as
| told the professors by the young man
himself who cannot be prevailed upon to
return to the college, but who was ready
| to believe he had been victimized. His
| Initiation was a stronger nerve test than
was ever enacted before. It was, how
| ever, an evidence that the initiators were
| getting more and more morbid in their
| methods.
The other cases brought to light by the
| investigation are more mild but none
| the less ingenious and trying than that
| which caused Shaw to abandon his stud
| les. The mysterious explosion of the
| skull attached to the 0adaver on which
| one of the newcomers was at work on
| the lower extremity with the same sur
6fvnrvc 90 Avnv g.