Daguerreotype Apparatus.--Set up as Ladies' Daguerreotype Portrait
Takers.--Preparations.--A pretty young Lady to begin
with.--Preliminaries.--A Chapter of Contingencies.--Success of the
first Experiment.--Other successful Experiments.--A Change of
Fortune.--Give up this Business.--An Incident.--Take up the Practice of
Surgery.--Operation for Strabismus.--Details.--First Subject.--A
great Gathering of Squint Eyes.--A troublesome Patient.--A little
Hero.--Extraordinary Instance of Fortitude.--A Military Patient.--A
Female Patient.--Practice of Surgery abandoned.--Instability of Fame.
But the reader must not suppose that our only business in Merida was
the investigation of antiquities; we had other operations in hand which
gave us plenty of employment. We had taken with us a Daguerreotype
apparatus, of which but one specimen had ever before appeared in
Yucatan. Great improvements had been since made in the instrument, and
we had reason to believe that ours was one of the best; and having
received assurances that we might do a large business in that line, we
were induced to set up as ladies' Daguerreotype portrait takers. It was
a new line for us, and rather venturesome, but not worse than for the
editor of a newspaper to turn captain of a steamboat; and, besides, it
was not like banking--we could not injure any one by a failure.
Having made trials upon ourselves until we were tired of the subjects,
and with satisfactory results, we considered ourselves sufficiently
advanced to begin; and as we intended to practice for the love of the
art, and not for lucre, we held that we had a right to select our
subjects. Accordingly, we had but to signify our wishes, and the next
morning put our house in order for the reception of our fair visiters.
We cleared everything out of the hammock, took the washhand basin off
the chair, and threw odds and ends into one corner; and as the sun was
pouring its rays warmly and brightly into our door, it was farther
lighted up by the entry of three young ladies, with their respective
papas and mammas. We had great difficulty in finding them all seats,
and were obliged to put the two mammas into the hammock together. The
young ladies were dressed in their prettiest costume, with earrings and
chains, and their hair adorned with flowers. All were pretty, and one
was much more than pretty; not in the style of Spanish beauty, with
dark eyes and hair, but a delicate and dangerous blonde, simple,
natural, and unaffected, beautiful without knowing it, and really
because she could not help it. Her name, too, was poetry itself. I am
bound to single her out, for, late on the evening of our departure from
Merida, she sent us a large cake, measuring about three feet in
circumference by six inches deep, which, by-the-way, everything being
packed up, I smothered into a pair of saddle-bags, and spoiled some of
my scanty stock of wearing apparel.
The ceremonies of the reception over, we made immediate preparations to
begin. Much form and circumstance were necessary in settling
preliminaries; and as we were in no hurry to get rid of our subjects,
we had more formalities than usual to go through with.
Our first subject was the lady of the poetical name. It was necessary
to hold a consultation upon her costume, whether the colours were
pretty and such as would be brought out well or not; whether a scarf
around the neck was advisable; whether the hair was well arranged, the
rose becoming, and in the best position; then to change it, and
consider the effect of the change, and to say and do many other things
which may suggest themselves to the reader's imagination, and all which
gave rise to many profound remarks in regard to artistical effect, and
occupied much time.
The lady being arrayed to the best advantage, it was necessary to seat
her with reference to a right adjustment of light and shade; to examine
carefully the falling of the light upon her face; then to consult
whether it was better to take a front or a side view; to look at the
face carefully in both positions; and, finally, it was necessary to
secure the head in the right position; that it should be neither too
high nor too low; too much on one side nor on the other; and as this
required great nicety, it was sometimes actually indispensable to turn
the beautiful little head with our own hands, which, however, was a
very innocent way of turning a young lady's head.
Next it was necessary to get the young lady into focus--that is, to get
her into the box, which, in short; means, to get a reflection of her
face on the glass in the camera obscura at that one particular point of
view which presented it better than any other; and when this was
obtained, the miniatured likeness of the object was so faithfully
reflected, that, as artists carried away by enthusiasm, we were obliged
to call in the papas and mammas, who pronounced it beautiful--to which
dictum we were in courtesy obliged to respond.
The plate was now cleaned, put into the box, and the light shut off.
Now came a trying time for the young lady. She must neither open her
lips nor roll her eyes for one minute and thirty seconds by the watch.
This eternity at length ended, and the plate was taken out.
So far our course had been before the wind. Every new formality had but
increased our importance in the eyes of our fair visiters and their
respectable companions. Mr. Catherwood retired to the adjoining room to
put the plate in the mercury bath, while we, not knowing what the
result might be, a little fearful, and neither wishing to rob another
of the honour he might be justly entitled to, not to be dragged down by
another's failure, thought best to have it distinctly understood that
Mr. Catherwood was the maestro, and that we were merely amateurs. At
the same time, on Mr. Catherwood's account, I took occasion to suggest
that the process was so complicated, and its success depended upon such
a variety of minute circumstances, it seemed really wonderful that it
ever turned out well. The plate might not be good, or not well cleaned;
or the chemicals might not be of the best; or the plate might be left
too long in the iodine box, or taken out too soon; or left too long in
the bromine box, or taken out too soon; or a ray of light might strike
it on putting it into the camera or in taking it out; or it might be
left too long in the camera or taken out too soon; or too long in the
mercury bath or taken out too soon; and even though all these processes
were right and regular, there might be some other fault of omission or
commission which we were not aware of; besides which, climate and
atmosphere had great influence, and might render all of no avail. These
little suggestions we considered necessary to prevent too great a
disappointment in case of failure; and perhaps our fair visiters were
somewhat surprised at our audacity in undertaking at all such a
doubtful experiment, and using them as instruments. The result,
however, was enough to induce us never again to adopt prudential
measures, for the young lady's image was stamped upon the plate, and
made a picture which enchanted her and satisfied the critical judgment
of her friends and admirers.
Our experiments upon the other ladies were equally successful, and the
morning glided away in this pleasant occupation.
We continued practising a few days longer; and as all our good results
were extensively shown, and the poor ones we took care to keep out of
sight, our reputation increased, and we had abundance of applications.
In this state of things we requested some friends to whom we were under
many obligations, to be permitted to wait upon them at their houses. On
receiving their assent, the next morning at nine o'clock Mr. C. in a
caleza, with all the complicated apparatus packed around him, drove up
to their door. I followed on foot. It was our intention to go through
the whole family, uncles, aunts, grandchildren, down to Indian
servants, as many as would sit; but man is born to disappointment. I
spare the reader the recital of our misfortunes that day. It would be
too distressing. Suffice it to say that we tried plate after plate,
sitting after sitting, varying light, time, and other points of the
process; but it was all in vain. The stubborn instrument seemed bent
upon confounding us; and, covering our confusion as well as we could,
we gathered up our Daguerreotype and carried ourselves off. What was
the cause of our complete discomfiture we never ascertained, but we
resolved to give up business as ladies' Daguerreotype portrait takers.
There was one interesting incident connected with our short career of
practice. Among the portraits put forth was one of a lady, which came
to the knowledge of a gentleman particularly interested in the fair
original. This gentleman had never taken any especial notice of us
before, but now he called upon us, and very naturally the conversation
turned upon that art of which we were then professors. The portrait of
this lady was mentioned, and by the time he had finished his third
straw cigar, he unburdened himself of the special object of his visit,
which was to procure a portrait of her for himself. This seemed natural
enough, and we assented, provided he would get her to sit; but he did
not wish either her or her friends to know anything about it. This was
a difficulty. It was not very easy to take it by stealth. However
strong an impression a young lady may make by a glance upon some
substances, she can do nothing upon a silver plate. Here she requires
the aid of iodine, bromine, and mercury. But the young man was fertile
in expedients. He said that we could easily make some excuse, promising
her something more perfect, and in making two or three impressions,
could slip one away for him. This was by no means a bad suggestion, at
least so far as he was concerned, but we had some qualms of conscience.
While we were deliberating, a matter was introduced which perhaps lay
as near Doctor Cabot's heart as the young lady did that of our friend.
That was a pointer or setter dog for hunting, of which the doctor
was in great want. The gentleman said he had one-the only one in
Merida--and he would give it for the portrait. It was rather an odd
proposition, but to offer a dog for his mistress's portrait was very
different from offering his mistress's portrait for a dog. It was clear
that the young man was in a bad way; he would lay down his life, give
up smoking, part with his dog, or commit any other extravagance. The
case was touching. The doctor was really interested; and, after all,
what harm could it do? The doctor and I went to look at the dog, but it
turned out to be a mere pup, entirely unbroken, and what the result
might have been I do not know, but all farther negotiations were broken
off by the result of our out-of-door practice and disgust for the
business.
There is no immediate connexion between taking Daguerreotype portraits
and the practice of surgery, but circumstances bring close together
things entirely dissimilar in themselves, and we went from one to the
other. Secluded as Merida is, and seldom visited by strangers, the fame
of new discoveries in science is slow in reaching it, and the new
operation of Mons. Guerin for the cure of strabismus had not been heard
of. In private intercourse we had spoken of this operation, and, in
order to make it known, and extend its benefits, Doctor Cabot had
offered to perform it in Merida. The Merida people have generally fine
eyes, but, either because our attention was particularly directed to
it, or that it is really the case, there seemed to be more squinting
eyes, or biscos, as they are called, than are usually seen in any one
town, and in Merida, as in some other places, this is not esteemed a
beauty; but, either from want of confidence in a stranger, or a cheap
estimation of the qualifications of a medico who asked no pay for his
services, the doctor's philanthropic purposes were not appreciated. At
least, no one cared to be the first; and as the doctor had no sample of
his skill with him, no subject offered.
We had fixed the day for our departure; and the evening but one before,
a direct overture was made to the doctor to perform the operation. The
subject was a boy, and the application in his behalf was made by a
gentleman who formed one of a circle in which we were in the habit of
visiting, and whom we were all happy to have it in our power to serve.
The time was fixed at ten o'clock the next day. After breakfast our
sala was put in order for the reception of company, and the doctor for
the first time looked to his instruments. He had some misgivings. They
were of very fine workmanship, made in Paris, most sensitive to the
influence of the atmosphere, and in that climate it was almost
impossible to preserve anything metallic from rust. The doctor had
packed the case among his clothing in the middle of his trunk, and had
taken every possible precaution, but, as usual upon such occasions, the
most important instrument had rusted at the point, and in that state
was utterly useless. There was no cutler in the place, nor any other
person competent to touch it. Mr. Catherwood, however, brought out an
old razor hone, and between them they worked off the rust.
At ten o'clock the doctor's subject made his appearance. He was the son
of a widow lady of very respectable family, about fourteen years old,
but small of stature, and presenting even to the most casual glance the
stamp of a little gentleman. He had large black eyes, but, unluckily,
their expression was very much injured by an inward squint. With the
light heart of boyhood, however, he seemed indifferent to his personal
appearance, and came, as he said, because his mother told him to do so.
His handsome person, and modest and engaging manners, gave us
immediately a strong interest in his favour. He was accompanied by the
gentleman who had spoken of bringing him, Dr. Bado, a Guatimalian
educated in Paris, the oldest and principal physician of Merida, and by
several friends of the family, whom we did not know.
Preparations were commenced immediately. The first movement was to
bring out a long table near the window; then to spread upon it a
mattress and pillow, and upon these to spread the boy. Until the actual
moment of operating, the precise character of this new business had not
presented itself to my mind, and altogether it opened by no means so
favourably as Daguerreotype practice.
Not aiming to be technical, but desiring to give the reader the benefit
of such scraps of learning as I pick up in my travels, modern science
has discovered that the eye is retained in its orbit by six muscles,
which pull it up and down, inward and outward, and that the undue
contraction of either of these muscles produces that obliquity called
squinting, which was once supposed to proceed from convulsions in
childhood, or other unknown causes. The cure discovered is the cutting
of the contracted muscle, by means of which the eye falls immediately
into its proper place. This muscle lies under the surface; and, as it
is necessary to pass through a membrane of the eye, the cutting cannot
be done with a broadaxe or a handsaw. In fact, it requires a knowledge
of the anatomy of the eye, manual dexterity, fine instruments, and Mr.
Catherwood and myself for assistants.
Our patient remained perfectly quiet, with his little hands folded
across his breast; but while the knife was cutting through the muscle
he gave one groan, so piteous and heart-rending, that it sent into the
next room all who were not immediately engaged. But before the sound of
the groan had died away the operation was over, and the boy rose with
his eye bleeding, but perfectly straight. A bandage was tied over it,
and, with a few directions for its treatment, amid the congratulations
and praises of all present, and wearing the same smile with which he
had entered, the little fellow walked off to his mother.
The news of this wonder spread rapidly, and before night Dr. Cabot had
numerous and pressing applications, among which was one from a
gentleman whom we were all desirous to oblige, and who had this defect
in both eyes.
On his account we determined to postpone our departure another day;
and, in furtherance of his original purpose, Dr. Cabot mentioned that
he would perform the operation upon all who chose to offer. We
certainly took no trouble to spread this notice, but the next morning,
when we returned from breakfast, there was a gathering of squint-eyed
boys around the door, who, with their friends and backers, made a
formidable appearance, and almost obstructed our entrance. As soon as
the door opened there was a rush inside; and as some of these slanting
eyes might not be able to distinguish between meum and tuum, we were
obliged to help their proprietors out into the street again.
At ten o'clock the big table was drawn up to the window, and the
mattress and pillow were spread upon it, but there was such a gathering
around the window that we had to hang up a sheet before it. Invitations
had been given to Dr. Bado and Dr. Munoz, and all physicians who chose
to come, and having met the governor in the evening, I had asked him to
be present. These all honoured us with their company, together with a
number of self-invited persons, who had introduced themselves, and
could not well be turned out, making quite a crowded room.
The first who presented himself was a stout lad about nineteen or
twenty, whom we had never seen or heard of before. Who he was or where
he came from we did not know, but he was a bisco of the worst kind, and
seemed able-bodied enough to undergo anything in the way of surgery. As
soon as the doctor began to cut the muscle, however, our strapping
patient gave signs of restlessness; and all at once, with an actual
bellow, he jerked his head on one side, carried away the doctor's hook,
and shut his eye upon it with a sort of lockjaw grip, as if determined
it should never be drawn out. How my hook got out I have no idea;
fortunately, the doctor let his go, or the lad's eye would have been
scratched out. As it was, there he sat with the bandage slipped above
one eye, and the other closed upon the hook, the handle of which stood
out straight. Probably at that moment he would have been willing to
sacrifice pride of personal appearance, keep his squint, and go through
life with his eye shut, the hook in it, and the handle sticking out;
but the instrument was too valuable to be lost. And it was interesting
and instructive to notice the difference between the equanimity of one
who had a hook in his eye, and that of lookers-on who had not. All the
spectators upbraided him with his cowardice and want of heart, and
after a round of reproof to which he could make no answer, he opened
his eye and let out the hook. But he had made a bad business of it. A
few seconds longer, and the operation would have been completed. As it
was, the whole work had to be repeated. As the muscle was again lifted
under the knife, I thought I saw a glare in the eyeball that gave token
of another fling of the head, but the lad was fairly browbeaten into
quiet; and, to the great satisfaction of all, with a double share of
blackness and blood, and with very little sympathy from any one, but
with his eye straight, he descended from the table. Outside he was
received with a loud shout by the boys, and we never heard of him
again.
The room was now full of people, and, being already disgusted with the
practice of surgery, I sincerely hoped that this exhibition would cure
all others of a wish to undergo the operation, but a little Mestizo
boy, about ten years old, who had been present all the time, crept
through the crowd, and, reaching the table, squinted up at us without
speaking, his crisscross expression telling us very plainly what he
wanted. He had on the usual Mestizo dress of cotton shirt and drawers
and straw hat, and seemed so young, simple, and innocent, that we did
not consider him capable of judging for himself. We told him he must
not be operated on, but he answered, in a decided though modest tone,
"Yo quiero, yo quiero," "I wish it, I wish it." We inquired if there
was any one present who had any authority over him, and a man whom we
had not noticed before, dressed, like him, in shirt and drawers,
stepped forward and said he was the boy's father; he had brought him
there himself on purpose, and begged Doctor Cabot to proceed. By his
father's directions, the little fellow attempted to climb up on the
table, but his legs were too short, and he had to be lifted up. His eye
was bandaged, and his head placed upon the pillow. He folded his hands
across his breast, turned his eye, did in all things exactly as he was
directed, and in half a minute the operation was finished. I do not
believe that he changed his position a hair's breadth or moved a
muscle. It was an extraordinary instance of fortitude. The spectators
were all admiration, and, amid universal congratulation, he was lifted
from the table, his eye bound up, and, without a word, but with the
spirit of a little hero, he took his father's hand and went away.
At this time, amid a press of applicants, a gentleman came to inform us
that a young lady was waiting her turn. This gave us an excuse for
clearing the room, and we requested all except the medical gentlemen
and the immediate friends to favour us with their absence. Such was the
strange curiosity these people had for seeing a most disagreeable
spectacle, that they were very slow in going away, and some slipped
into the other rooms and the yard, but we ferreted them out, and got
the room somewhat to ourselves.
The young lady was accompanied by her mother. She was full of
hesitation and fears, anxious to be relieved, but doubting her ability
to endure the pain, and the moment she saw the instruments, her courage
entirely forsook her. Doctor Cabot discouraged all who had any distrust
of their own fortitude, and, to my mingled joy and regret, she went
away.
The next in order was the gentleman on whose account we had postponed
our departure. He was the oldest general in the Mexican service, but
for two years an exile in Merida. By the late revolution, which placed
Santa Ana in power, his party was uppermost; and he had strong claims
upon our good feelings, for, in a form expatriation from Mexico,
he had served as volunteer aid to General Jackson at the battle of
New-Orleans. This gentleman had an inward squint in both eyes, which,
however, instead of being a defect, gave character to his face; but his
sight was injured by it, and this Doctor Cabot thought might be
improved. The first eye was cut quickly and successfully, and while the
bloody orb was rolling in its socket, the same operation was performed
upon the other. In this, however, fearing that the eye might be drawn
too far in the opposite direction, the doctor had not thought it
advisable to cut the muscle entirely through, and, on examining it, he
was not satisfied with the appearance. The general again laid his head
upon the pillow, and the operation was repeated, making three times in
rapid succession. Altogether, it was a trying thing, and I felt
immensely happy when it was over. With his eyes all right and both
bandaged, we carried him to a caleza in waiting, where, to the great
amusement of the vagabond boys, he took his seat on the footboard, with
his back to the horse, and it was some time before we could get him
right.
In the mean time the young lady had returned with her mother. She could
not bear to lose the opportunity, and though unable to make up her mind
to undergo the operation, she could not keep away. She was about
eighteen, of lively imagination, picturing pleasure or pain in the
strongest colours, and with a smile ever ready to chase away the tear.
At one moment she roused herself to the effort, and the next, calling
herself coward, fell into her mother's arms, while her mother cheered
and encouraged her, representing to her, with that confidence allowed
before medical men, the advantage it would give her in the eyes of our
sex. Her eyes were large, full, and round, and with the tear glistening
in them, the defect was hardly visible; in fact, all that they wanted
was to be made to roll in the right direction.
I have given the reader a faint picture of Daguerreotype practice with
young ladies, but this was altogether another thing, and it was very
different from having to deal with boys or men. It is easy enough to
spread out a boy upon a table, but not so with a young lady; so, too,
it is easy enough to tie a bandage around a boy's head, but vastly
different among combs and curls, and long hair done up behind. As the
principal assistant of Doctor Cabot, this complicated business devolved
upon me; and having, with the help of her mother, accomplished it, I
laid her head upon the pillow as carefully as if it had been my own
property. In all the previous cases I had found it necessary, in order
to steady my hand, to lean my elbow on the table, and my wrist on the
forehead of the patient I did the same with her, and, if I know myself
I never gazed into any eyes as I did into that young lady's one eye in
particular. When the doctor drew out the instrument, I certainly could
have taken her in my arms, but her imagination had been too powerful;
her eyes closed, a slight shudder seized her, and she fainted. That
passed off, and she rose with her eyes all right. A young gentleman was
in attendance to escort her to her home, and the smile had again
returned to her cheek as he told her that now her lover would not know
her.
This case had occupied a great deal of time; the doctor's labours were
doubled by the want of regular surgical aid, he was fatigued with the
excitement, and I was worn out; my head was actually swimming with
visions of bleeding and mutilated eyes, and I almost felt doubtful
about my own. The repetition of the operations had not accustomed me to
them; indeed, the last was more painful to me than the first, and I
felt willing to abandon forever the practice of surgery. Doctor Cabot
had explained the modus operandi fully to the medical gentlemen, had
offered to procure them instruments, and considering the thing fairly
introduced into the country, we determined to stop. But this was not so
easy; the crowd out of doors had their opinion on the subject; the
biscos considered that we were treating them outrageously, and became
as clamorous as a mob in a western city about to administer Lynch law.
One would not be kept back. He was a strapping youth, with cast enough
in his eye to carry everything before him, and had probably been
taunted all his life by merciless schoolboys. Forcing himself inside,
with his hands in his pockets, he said that he had the money to pay for
it, and would not be put off. We were obliged to apologize, and, with a
little wish to bring him down, gave him some hope that he should be
attended to on our return to Merida.
The news of these successes flew like wild-fire, and a great sensation
was created throughout the city. All the evening Doctor Cabot was
besieged with applications, and I could but think how fleeting is this
world's fame! At first my arrival in the country had been fairly
trumpeted in the newspapers; for a little while Mr. Catherwood had
thrown me in the shade with the Daguerreotype, and now all our glories
were swallowed up by Doctor Cabot's cure of strabismus. Nevertheless,
his fame was reflected upon us. All the afternoon squint-eyed boys were
passing up and down the street, throwing slanting glances in at the
door, and toward evening, as Mr. Catherwood and I were walking to the
plaza, we were hailed by some vagabond urchins with the obstreperous
shout, "There go the men who cure the biscos."