DR. HYDER BEN RAABA
Like a nebular comet in a far away constellation, so mysterious in
its orbit and composition, was Dr. Hyder Ben Raaba, who suddenly
made his appearance in the suburbs of the cosmopolitan city of
B---- on Long Island. He occupied the spacious mansion of a wealthy
merchant, who had abandoned it for a more comfortable lodge in the
Adirondacks. Surrounded by somewhat neglected clumps of pines and
shrubberies, the establishment was entirely isolated from the highway
and most suitable for a man like the Hindoo doctor, who seemed always
to desire seclusion.
In order to form an idea of his singular personality, a brief
description will perhaps enlighten the reader. He was tall, lank,
of swarthy complexion, endowed with a cyranesque proboscis and a
moustache which protruded like the tusks of a walrus. His eyebrows
resembled the moustache in miniature. His big greenish-yellow eyes,
with spacious white borders and cat-like pupils, were able to bring
to bear an intensely hypnotic gaze, which had an irresistible and
subjective power. As he was invariably attired in the picturesque
costume of his country, and from the fine texture of the silken turban
and embroidered robes, could easily be conjectured that he belonged
to a high caste and noble Hindoo family. He had a peculiar walk,
continually swerving from side to side as he moved, wriggling and
swinging his indispensable jessamine cane, which from its serpentine
convolutions looked as if it had been hardened while in convulsions.
The people of the neighborhood, although amused by his strange antics,
entertained great respect for him. To some, especially to young people,
he seemed a monstrosity. They had already nick-named him the "Crazy
Doctor." Vague rumors circulated among the gossip-loving residents
that he was a political refugee, who, finding his life in danger in
India, had fled from his native land. But no one doubted his ability
as a physician and surgeon, for in a short time he had founded a
reputation that commanded respect.
His cadaverous look, his strange hypnotic eye and mysteriously
eccentric movements, enhanced a hundredfold his reputation rather than
damaged it. Every one considered him a man of great learning, a wizard
in the science of healing and stood aghast exclaiming wonderingly,
"Whence cometh this mighty healing power?"
When Dr. Ben Raaba made his advent in B---- he was accompanied by a
robust, well-formed and intelligent-looking Levantine Jew servant,
Esau by name. This person minded his own business, and proved himself
to be a very discreet servant, never divulging his master's secrets to
any outsider. A few months after taking up their residence, however,
the place resembled a private menagerie. Scores of cats, dogs, of high
and low degree, pigs and goats of every size made their appearance.
Dr. Hyder, notwithstanding various opinions of others, was in reality
a mysterious and remarkable man; despite his thorough British education
and extensive travels in foreign lands, was a believer in the tenets of
a Hindoo sect called the Saktian Yogis, a believer of Mahadeva, whose
spouse of a dual nature--spiritual and material principles in one--has
three qualities: first, Dominion and Desire; second, Rectitude and
Wisdom, with power to control senses; and third, Violence and Passion.
The Doctor, moreover, was conversant with all the Hindoo mysticism
and sciences, astronomy and magic. He was capable of restraining
respiration, besides being a natural born hypnotist of great
power. Modern practical medicine and surgery were also among the
Doctor's accomplishments, as he had a seven year course in the National
University of Medicine of London.
His appearances in public began to diminish gradually after the various
animals were received there, as he was engrossed in his laboratory,
engaged in some experiment in vivisection! Indeed, in the dead of
night, weird and uncanny sounds often emanated from the inner recesses
of his laboratory. Sometimes a piteous mew, or the piercing caterwaul
of felines, or the whining of dogs. At other times, the plaintive
beating of a goat, the squeaking of a goose or the squeal of a pig
broke the silence of the night, while at intervals, now and then,
several owls on the roof gave vent to their weird hootings.
This state of affairs naturally gave an awful aspect to the place, and
kept the inquisitive villagers at a distance, while the mischievous
youngsters gave the place no trouble from trespassing. The only
incident which reached the public was told by a precocious youth who,
with grim determination, strived to unravel the mysteries of the place,
on a cloudy night had crawled into the garden, climbed a tree, and
hidden himself until later on, when the full moon appeared above the
horizon and cast its hazy light through the clouds. Then an uncanny
sight was unfurled before his eyes; there, sitting under the shadow of
a weeping willow tree, the Hindoo Doctor, apparently, was in the act
of hypnotizing a goat, with weird gestures and incantations. Unnerved
by this strange sight, the intruder, losing his grip and footing,
fell to the ground. The hooting of an owl and a fiendish howl from
the Doctor gave the youth a further impetus to scamper for life, over
shrubberies and picket fence, out of the domain of the Hindoo vampire!
Upon the youth's recital of his experience, the feeling of mystery and
fear increased among the unsophisticated people of the neighborhood
and they kept shy of the place. But the climax of their apprehension
was reached when, shortly after, the following curious sign adorned
the main gate to the house:
DR. HYDER BEN RAABA
VIVISECTIONIST AND RE-INCARNATOR
What was the meaning of these significant words on his shingle,
"Vivisectionist and Re-incarnator?" What was the mission of this
mysterious man? To what line of surgical science did this assortment
of animals contribute, whose piteous wails ever and anon emanated
from his laboratory? Up to that time a chain of wonderful discoveries
and marvelous achievements had been attained by profound savants in
surgical and pathological subjects: The creation of life germ cells:
The trepanning of skulls and the re-arrangement of the brains:
The grafting of skin, nose and ear: The infusion of new blood:
The pre-natal determination of sexes: The separation of mind from
the body, by subjecting persons in a cataleptic state by hypnotism:
And last but not least, the hibernation for an indefinite period of
living bodies by suspended animation.
These amazing triumphs, each more startling than the other, were the
records of past achievements.
Could there be anything more astounding?
Even so, Dr. Hyder Ben Raaba, who was conversant with all the above
mentioned exploits of experimenters, had conceived one of the boldest
and extraordinarily audacious of surgical feats, the successful
demonstration of which would startle the world and make men stand
aghast with wonder. In fact, by the display of his professional sign,
it was a foregone conclusion that he had succeeded in his experiments.
By the aid of science, occultism and wonderful magic, he had
transformed the sexes!