Year: 1871

/
a swinging motion they laid it on a table
just brought in. The body gave heavy
thud and the head q clear, resonant thump
as they came to their resting place upon
the deal table.


"WeTi, Grunt, you have the knives;
pitch in," said the elder Abernethy.


The young surgeon opened his mahog-
any csse, selected two or three knives OF
| different sizes, felt the edges of one with
his thumb, and approached the head OF
the corpse before him Separating the
hair, he made an incision through the
skin from one ear over the top of the
head to the other. Having separated the
scalp from the skull, he turned one por-
ton inside out over the nose and face,
the other over the back of the head and
neck. The round, glistening hemisphere
of the Uranium was now exposed, like an
immense ostrich egg protruding from its
nest. He next took the saw and COM
menced the circuit of the skull, saving
through the bone as he progressed.


"Look out for your fingers, Gruntl
That saw slips sometimes" said the SYM
psthizing physician of the ford complex
| ion


While this horrid scene was being
enacted before my eyes, which could
neither close or avert, fully understood
the danger ! was in. 1t was certain, from
the words of the coroner, that was also
to become subject of dissection. made
desperate effort to move or scream, but
the spell could not be broken. My only
hope was that the first incision of the
knife when l came upon the operating
table might arouse me from my wretched
trance; but almost feared that even then
/ might not escape further mutilation, SO
horrible did the scientific GOODNESS OF the
surgeons appear to me.


The saw finished its work without In
jury to the fingers of the surgeon;
chisel was introduced between the di-
vided edges, and few blows of ham
mer separated the upper portion of the
skull cap from the lower. The whitish,
shining semi-circumference of the brain
now presented itself, studded with dark
blood-vessels and. rolled in convolutions,
which, from some singular fancy, l could
not resist mentally comparing with the
larger folds that constitute the beauty and
grace of chignons so fashionable upon the
heads of bellies at the present day. Like
the bird charmed by the glittering eyes of
snake, / became fascinated by the scene
as the different steps of the operation were
in progress, and l even found myself cal
culatiDg at what precise point my life
must of necessity become sacrifice when
my turn should come.


The surgeon, with little aid from the
knife, rolled the brain from its bed dexter
ously into the palm of his hand, held it up
to view for moment, and then deposited
it with pat upon the table. With large
knife he smoothly sliced it in pieces, much
as a corner grocer would cut his cheese,
and examined the surface exposed, appa-
rently with much interest.


"Vessels in high state of venous con-
gestion," said the older physician. "Open
the ventricles, Grunt. Yes, filled with
bloody serum Conclusion Of the brain
died of the shock. 'Twon't be necessary to
proceed farther with him. Come, close up
and take the other one"


Saying this, he whistled, put both hands
in his pantaloon pockets, turned toward
me, and seemed to be taking a survey of
my proportions. Putting the toe of his
boot under one of my arms he raised it a
little distance and let it fall. Not much
caiaveric rigidity there yet" he remarked.
How fresh he looksp


"Appears as if he liked drop occasion
ally" said Grunt, as he glanced toward me
from his work.


My time seemed now near st hand.
Grunt was hastily replacing the mutt
lated brain, readjusting the skull and
stitching together the divided edges
of the scalp. While / felt indignant at
the cool impudence of the doctor, whose
eyes were fixed upon me as if he were
in a deep study, still felt the necessity of
nerving myself for the new trial that was
now upon me.


While endeavoring to prepare myself
for the issue, the key again clicked in the
lock, the door opened and the coroner en-
tered, followed by twelve men, who
seemed to be farmers from the vicinity.
The look of sympathy which was ex-
pressed on the honest countenances of
many of them as they gazed upon the
dead before them was peculiarly grateful
to me after the exhibition of professional
Indifference l had just been witnessing.
Some hardly entered within the door, but
gave hasty glance and turned away.


"Well, jintlemen, hev yez viewed the
bodies?" said the coroner. Most of them
nodded assent and withdrew "The train
layes in ten minutes, jintemen," said the
coroner, turning to the physicians. 'Hev
ye inished?"


We'll have to leave one of them, if
that's the case," said the older physician.
1t makes no difference, however. He no
doubt died from the same cause as the
other: they were found together"


l had received my respite. was not to
be mangled as l had Just seen my COM
panion. The reaction of my feelings was
so great that wonder it did not rouse me
from my trance.


The doctors hurriedly finished their
work, left the body upon the table and
took their departure from the room.
In few minutes four men entered,
bringing door which had been removed
from its hinges. Upon it they tenderly
placed the dead bodies, one after the
other, and bore them out. My turn came
last. As was carried along the platform
had an opportunity to learn something
of what had happened. An overturned
engine and two or three cars, more or less
shattered, by the side of the track, told
! the tale of a railroad accident As
glanced upward the clouds above seemed
perfectly glorious with the last rays of
the setting sun. Men, women, and chill
dren gazed, some with curiosity, but most
with compassion, upon my apparently
liteless form as it passed by to the baggage
car.


The door of the car was closed, and
again l was alone, surrounded by dead
bodies. The whistle sounded, and the
train was soon speeding its way over the
track I had traversed in the morning.
Approaching twilight gradually rendered
indistinct the objects around me until COM
plete darkness shut from view my hideous
surroundings, except when they were rem
dered visible for a moment by a flash of
light from some station as we hurried past.
Thoroughly exhausted by the intense
mental excitement of which l had been
the subject, tried to compose myself and
gain nerve for any new emergency.
think must have become insensible
from sleep, for remember nothing more
that occurred until became conscious of
; seeing before nay eyes the familiar walls


of the cozy back parlor of my own house.
The bright light Of day was streaming in
at the window, the canary was chirping in
his cage, and the room was as cheerful as
/ ever. How had reached my home, OF


how long l had been unconscious, could


not determine. Still, could not move q
muscle. heard near me conversation in
, low tones, and soft footsteps. My wife


and the undertaken were in the room.
. could not see them, for my face was turned
I directly upward. | gathered from the few
!. words of the undertaken that he was ex