“Gentlemen,” said Reuel, with quiet dignity, when they were once more assembled, “will you individually examine the patient once more and give your verdicts?”
Once more doctors and students carefully examined the inanimate figure in which the characteristics of death were still more pronounced. On the outskirts of the group hovered the house-surgeon’s assistants ready to transport the body to the operating room for the post-mortem. Again the head physician spoke, this time impatiently.
“We are wasting our time, Dr. Briggs; I pronounce the woman dead. She was past medical aid when brought here.”
“There is no physical damage, apparent or hidden, that you can see, Doctor?” questioned Reuel, respectfully.
“No; it is a perfectly healthful organism, though delicate. I agree entirely with your assertion that death was induced by the shock.”
“Not death, Doctor,” protested Briggs.
“Well, well, call it what you like—call it what you like, it amounts to the same in the end,” replied the doctor testily.
“Do you all concur in Doctor Hamilton’s diagnosis?” Briggs included all the physicians in his sweeping glance. There was a general assent.
“I am prepared to show you that in some cases of seeming death—or even death in reality—consciousness may be restored or the dead brought back to life. I have numberless times in the past six months restored consciousness to dogs and cats after rigor mortis had set in,” he declared calmly.
“Bosh!” broke from a leading surgeon. In this manner the astounding statement, made in all seriousness, was received by the group of scientists mingled with an astonishment that resembled stupidity. But in spite of their scoffs, the young student’s confident manner made a decided impression upon his listeners, unwilling as they were to be convinced.