The evening times., 1896-07-24


OF the city hospitals 10 fiud the cup OF bit
ternrss overflowing. Many of the sights
there witnessed would afford an excuse for
the gloomy view OF life taken by the most
extreme pessimist.
all through the year bat few wards are
| vacant, and oftines in some of the larger
hospitals patients are turned away until
room can be made for them.
The ma iorty OF patients have a great
horror OF death. Especially is this true, The
physicians say, of those who have never be-
fore known what it is TO be seriously i'll.
Those who endure most patiently are those
who have suffered the most, and often FROM
chronic diseases.
HAUNTED BY STRANGE THOUGHTS
Queer ideas often burden tie mind of
| sick persons, causing tlcm to make astound-
ing requests. Not inirequently people who
have abandoned hope and become resigned
TO tlcir fate, make provision for their
funerals. Occasionally n request is made
| 10 have the body cremated, but, perhaps,
the most startling desire is that the re-
mains of the deceased be used for scientific
| purposes and turned over to Il medical col
| lcgc for dissection. Such instances are
/ SeAst ~ pt putt b'NtititiCssf thts w
actually Happen.
| Readers of Tie Times will remember the
| suicide OF Mis-. j. j McKnew and tie at
tempt of her husband to end their lives
about month or six weeks ago by drinking
laudaDum. They lived at No. 321 Penn
sylvania avenue, and were despondent
and determined to die together.
Tie wonian was successful in her at
| tempt, but her husband taking a smaller
| dose recovered lit the Emergency Hospital
| In a note which he left among other re-
quests was one that their rodics he given
! to some medical college for the benefit of
science. The request WAS no doubt in earn
est, hut was not complied with in Mrs. Nc
| Knew's case, friends claimed the re-
mains and they were buried.
AFRAID OF PoTTER's FIELD.
Another instance occurred at lie Enier
| gency, where fricndiess old man, who
had been run over and injured in an acct
| dent realizing that his end was near, asked
| the doctors 10 see that his body should he
| taken To the dssecting room of some col
lege or 10 the Medical Museum. He had u
| mos tablect horror of being buried in
potter's field and having no friends TO give
him decent burial lie preferred the young
surgeons mis- cht profit by dissecting his
body.
Similar instances are on record, hut the
are not frequent. Most people have Il mcst
| profound dread of such thing and live
| i'll fear OF it.
| In all the long experience of Sister
Beatrice at Providence Hospital no such
| request has ever been made On the cou-
| trary, she states, patients have often
pleaded that the surgeons knife should
not slash their bodies after death 1t is
not infrequent, however, that patient
| is anxious and willing that an autopsy
or post-mortem examination should lie held
| over their bodies. This, with the consent
of friends and relatives, is often done.
But "A few days ago lady at Garfield
| Hospital suffering from tumor of the
brain solemnly asked that her skull shouie
be opened and au examination made OF
! the cause of her death. Then she startled
the physicians hy adding that nothing
would give her greater pleasure than to
lie present and witness the operation.
Since the institution started several per
sons have died there who have expressed
"A willingness to have their bodies placed
upon the dssecting table.
MOTIVES OF SUCH REQUESTS.
| Physicians attribute these singular re-
quests to two causes first, to despo ndency
and sort of feeling that often alta cks the
sufferer that it is of little Importance whai
becomes OF the body which has caused them
SO much misery and suffering; second, Il
a real desire 10 benefit sc.ence. Especially
/ &c IA his nff wi IN a ys a sfuiy \
of anatomy and realize the great value o.
such experiments.
PHYSICIANS have many times been known
TO make such requests. 1t has been sus
gcsted that a society be formed among prac
titioners on similar lines as the Suicide
Club OF New York, but for the purpose OF
having their bodies turned over 10 the medi
cal colleges after dying a natural death
The suggestion did not originate here
though local physicians have been ar
preached on the subject, but it has neve
taken shape.
| As is well known, however, bodies ar,
not wanting for amateur surgeons to oper
ate upon. A law passed by the last Con
gress provides that the bodies of those who
die IN poverty and whose friends are un
| able To bury them sh all be sent to one Of the
three medical colleges in the District.
Undertaken Harvey has charge of thu
distribution of the bodies, and in this man
ner several subjects have been fur
nishcd to young surgeons for dissection
! The act, however, provides further tha
the tones shall all be put properly to
gether and finally given burial.
GHoULs ROB THE GRAVES.
Resurrectionists, however, are always
| active. About two weeks since Il well
dressed man called at Columbia Hospita
and asked TO see the head physician. Upol
being shown that gentleman he at onc
made known his business, and withou
any ado stated that he was ressuret
ZIONIST. He explained that the medica
colleges were closing, and as he had sew
eral .'stiffs'' on hand which might spo
lie would sell them to a cash customer a
greatly reduced rates.
The usual charge made by ghoul
Sl5 for body. He would part with hi
for SO, owing TO the uDfavorable season
His generous offer was refused, and
was suggested that if he had a cut rat
bargain TO offer that he mark his stiff
S9.9S and seek II purchaser among SOM
young lady surgeons. He left deeply in
pressed with the idea and thanked tn
physician for the happy thought.