The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

by Edgar Allan Poe
(published 1845)
  

Of course I shall not pretend to consider it any matter for wonder, that 
the extraordinary case of M. Valdemar has excited discussion. It would 
have been a miracle had it not -- especially under the circumstances. 
Through the desire of all parties concerned, to keep the affair from the 
public, at least for the present, or until we had farther opportunities 
for investigation -- through our endeavors to effect this -- a garbled or 
exaggerated account made its way into society, and became the source of 
many unpleasant misrepresentations; and, very naturally, of a great deal 
of disbelief.

    It is now rendered necessary that I give the facts -- as far as I 
comprehend them myself. They are, succinctly, these:

    My attention, for the last three years, had been repeatedly drawn to 
the subject of Mesmerism; and, about nine months ago, it occurred to me, 
quite suddenly, that in the series of experiments made hitherto, there had 
been a very remarkable and most unaccountable omission: no person had as 
yet been mesmerized in articulo mortis. It remained to be seen, first, 
whether, in such condition, there existed in the patient any 
susceptibility to the magnetic influence; secondly, whether, if any 
existed, it was impaired or increased by the condition; thirdly, to what 
extent, or for how long a period, the encroachments of Death might be 
arrested by the process. There were other points to be ascertained, but 
these most excited my curiosity -- the last in especial, from the 
immensely important character of its consequences.

    In looking around me for some subject by whose means I might test 
these particulars, I was brought to think of my friend, M. Ernest 
Valdemar, the well-known compiler of the "Bibliotheca Forensica," and 
author (under the nom de plume of Issachar Marx) of the Polish versions of 
"Wallenstein" and "Gargantua." M. Valdemar, who has resided principally at 
Harlem, N. Y., since the year 1839, is (or was) particularly noticeable 
for the extreme spareness of his person -- his lower limbs much resembling 
those of John Randolph; and, also, for the whiteness of his whiskers, in 
violent contrast to the blackness of his hair -- the latter, in 
consequence, being very generally mistaken for a wig. His temperament was 
markedly nervous, and rendered him a good subject for mesmeric experiment. 
On two or three occasions I had put him to sleep with little difficulty, 
but was disappointed in other results which his peculiar constitution had 
naturally led me to anticipate. His will was at no period positively, or 
thoroughly, under my control, and in regard to clairvoyance, I could 
accomplish with him nothing to be relied upon. I always attributed my 
failure at these points to the disordered state of his health. For some 
months previous to my becoming acquainted with him, his physicians had 
declared him in a confirmed phthisis. It was his custom, indeed, to speak 
calmly of his approaching dissolution, as of a matter neither to be 
avoided nor regretted.

    When the ideas to which I have alluded first occurred to me, it was of 
course very natural that I should think of M. Valdemar. I knew the steady 
philosophy of the man too well to apprehend any scruples from him; and he 
had no relatives in America who would be likely to interfere. I spoke to 
him frankly upon the subject; and, to my surprise, his interest seemed 
vividly excited. I say to my surprise; for, although he had always yielded 
his person freely to my experiments, he had never before given me any 
tokens of sympathy with what I did. His disease was of that character 
which would admit of exact calculation in respect to the epoch of its 
termination in death; and it was finally arranged between us that he would 
send for me about twenty-four hours before the period announced by his 
physicians as that of his decease.

    It is now rather more than seven months since I received, from M. 
Valdemar himself, the subjoined note:

    "MY DEAR P___,

    You may as well come now. D___ and F___ are agreed that I cannot hold 
out beyond to-morrow midnight; and I think they have hit the time very 
nearly.
VALDEMAR."    

    I received this note within half an hour after it was written, and in 
fifteen minutes more I was in the dying man's chamber. I had not seen him 
for ten days, and was appalled by the fearful alteration which the brief 
interval had wrought in him. His face wore a leaden hue; the eyes were 
utterly lustreless; and the emaciation was so extreme, that the skin had 
been broken through by the cheek-bones. His expectoration was excessive. 
The pulse was barely perceptible. He retained, nevertheless, in a very 
remarkable manner, both his mental power and a certain degree of physical 
strength. He spoke with distinctness -- took some palliative medicines 
without aid -- and, when I entered the room, was occupied in penciling 
memoranda in a pocket-book. He was propped up in the bed by pillows. 
Doctors D___ and F___ were in attendance.

    After pressing Valdemar's hand, I took these gentlemen aside, and 
obtained from them a minute account of the patient's condition. The left 
lung had been for eighteen months in a semi-osseous or cartilaginous 
state, and was, of course, entirely useless for all purposes of vitality. 
The right, in its upper portion, was also partially, if not thoroughly, 
ossified, while the lower region was merely a mass of purulent tubercles, 
running one into another. Several extensive perforations existed; and, at 
one point, permanent adhesion to the ribs had taken place. These 
appearances in the right lobe were of comparatively recent date. The 
ossification had proceeded with very unusual rapidity; no sign of it had 
discovered a month before, and the adhesion had only been observed during 
the three previous days. Independently of the phthisis, the patient was 
suspected of aneurism of the aorta; but on this point the osseous symptoms 
rendered an exact diagnosis impossible. It was the opinion of both 
physicians that M. Valdemar would die about midnight on the morrow 
(Sunday.) It was then seven o'clock on Saturday evening.

    On quitting the invalid's bed-side to hold conversation with myself, 
Doctors D___ and F___ had bidden him a final farewell. It had not been 
their intention to return; but, at my request, they agreed to look in upon 
the patient about ten the next night.

    When they had gone, I spoke freely with M. Valdemar on the subject of 
his approaching dissolution, as well as, more particularly, of the 
experiment proposed. He still professed himself quite willing and even 
anxious to have it made, and urged me to commence it at once. A male and a 
female nurse were in attendance; but I did not feel myself altogether at 
liberty to engage in a task of this character with no more reliable 
witnesses than these people, in case of sudden accident, might prove. I 
therefore postponed operations until about eight the next night, when the 
arrival of a medical student, with whom I had some acquaintance, (Mr. 
Theodore L___l,) relieved me from farther embarrassment. It had been my 
design, originally, to wait for the physicians; but I was induced to 
proceed, first, by the urgent entreaties of M. Valdemar, and secondly, by 
my conviction that I had not a moment to lose, as he was evidently sinking 
fast.

    Mr. L___l was so kind as to accede to my desire that he would take 
notes of all that occurred; and it is from his memoranda that what I now 
have to relate is, for the most part, either condensed or copied verbatim.

    It wanted about five minutes of eight when, taking the patient's hand, 
I begged him to state, as distinctly as he could, to Mr. L___l, whether he 
(M. Valdemar,) was entirely willing that I should make the experiment of 
mesmerizing him in his then condition.

    He replied feebly, yet quite audibly, "Yes, I wish to be mesmerized" 
-- adding immediately afterwards, "I fear you have deferred it too long."

    While he spoke thus, I commenced the passes which I had already found 
most effectual in subduing him. He was evidently influenced with the first 
lateral stroke of my hand across his forehead; but although I exerted all 
my powers, no farther perceptible effect was induced until some minutes 
after ten o'clock, when Doctors D___ and F___ called, according to 
appointment. I explained to them, in a few words, what I designed, and as 
they opposed no objection, saying that the patient was already in the 
death agony, I proceeded without hesitation -- exchanging, however, the 
lateral passes for downward ones, and directing my gaze entirely into the 
right eye of the sufferer.

    By this time his pulse was imperceptible and his breathing was 
stertorous, and at intervals of half a minute.

    This condition was nearly unaltered for a quarter of an hour. At the 
expiration of this period, however, a natural although a very deep sigh 
escaped the bosom of the dying man, and the stertorous breathing ceased -- 
that is to say, its stertorousness was no longer apparent; the intervals 
were undiminished. The patient's extremities were of an icy coldness.

    At five minutes before eleven, I perceived unequivocal signs of the 
mesmeric influence. The glassy roll of the eye was changed for that 
expression of uneasy inward examination which is never seen except in 
cases of sleep-waking, and which it is quite impossible to mistake. With a 
few rapid lateral passes I made the lids quiver, as in incipient sleep, 
and with a few more I closed them altogether. I was not satisfied, 
however, with this, but continued the manipulations vigorously, and with 
the fullest exertion of the will, until I had completely stiffened the 
limbs of the slumberer, after placing them in a seemingly easy position. 
The legs were at full length; the arms were nearly so, and reposed on the 
bed at a moderate distance from the loins. The head was very slightly 
elevated.

    When I had accomplished this, it was fully midnight, and I requested 
the gentlemen present to examine M. Valdemar's condition. After a few 
experiments, they admitted him to be in an unusually perfect state of 
mesmeric trance. The curiosity of both the physicians was greatly excited. 
Dr. D___ resolved at once to remain with the patient all night, while Dr. 
F___ took leave with a promise to return at daybreak. Mr. L___l and the 
nurses remained.

    We left M. Valdemar entirely undisturbed until about three o'clock in 
the morning, when I approached him and found him in precisely the same 
condition as when Dr. F___ went away -- that is to say, he lay in the same 
position; the pulse was imperceptible; the breathing was gentle (scarcely 
noticeable, unless through the application of a mirror to the lips;) the 
eyes were closed naturally; and the limbs were as rigid and as cold as 
marble. Still, the general appearance was certainly not that of death.

    As I approached M. Valdemar I made a kind of half effort to influence 
his right arm into pursuit of my own, as I passed the latter gently to and 
fro above his person. In such experiments with this patient, I had never 
perfectly succeeded before, and assuredly I had little thought of 
succeeding now; but to my astonishment, his arm very readily, although 
feebly, followed every direction I assigned it with mine. I determined to 
hazard a few words of conversation.

    "M. Valdemar," I said, "are you asleep?" He made no answer, but I 
perceived a tremor about the lips, and was thus induced to repeat the 
question, again and again. At its third repetition, his whole frame was 
agitated by a very slight shivering; the eye-lids unclosed themselves so 
far as to display a white line of a ball; the lips moved sluggishly, and 
from between them, in a barely audible whisper, issued the words:

    "Yes; asleep now. Do not wake me! -- let me die so!"

    I here felt the limbs and found them as rigid as ever. The right arm, 
as before, obeyed the direction of my hand. I questioned the sleep-waker 
again:

    "Do you still feel pain in the breast, M. Valdemar?"

    The answer now was immediate, but even less audible than before:

    "No pain -- I am dying."

    I did not think it advisable to disturb him farther just then, and 
nothing more was said or done until the arrival of Dr. F___, who came a 
little before sunrise, and expressed unbounded astonishment at finding the 
patient still alive. After feeling the pulse and applying a mirror to the 
lips, he requested me to speak to the sleep-waker again. I did so, saying:

    "M. Valdemar, do you still sleep?"

    As before, some minutes elapsed ere a reply was made; and during the 
interval the dying man seemed to be collecting his energies to speak. At 
my fourth repetition of the question, he said very faintly, almost 
inaudibly:

    "Yes; still asleep -- dying."

    It was now the opinion, or rather the wish, of the physicians, that M. 
Valdemar should be suffered to remain undisturbed in his present 
apparently tranquil condition, until death should supervene -- and this, 
it was generally agreed, must now take place within a few minutes. I 
concluded, however, to speak to him once more, and merely repeated my 
previous question.

    While I spoke, there came a marked change over the countenance of the 
sleep-waker. The eyes rolled themselves slowly open, the pupils 
disappearing upwardly; the skin generally assumed a cadaverous hue, 
resembling not so much parchment as white paper; and the circular hectic 
spots which, hitherto, had been strongly defined in the centre of each 
cheek, went out at once. I use this expression, because the suddenness of 
their departure put me in mind of nothing so much as the extinguishment of 
a candle by a puff of the breath. The upper lip, at the same time, writhed 
itself away from the teeth, which it had previously covered completely; 
while the lower jaw fell with an audible jerk, leaving the mouth widely 
extended, and disclosing in full view the swollen and blackened tongue. I 
presume that no member of the party then present had been unaccustomed to 
death-bed horrors; but so hideous beyond conception was the appearance of 
M. Valdemar at this moment, that there was a general shrinking back from 
the region of the bed.

    I now feel that I have reached a point of this narrative at which 
every reader will be startled into positive disbelief. It is my business, 
however, simply to proceed.

    There was no longer the faintest sign of vitality in M. Valdemar; and 
concluding him to be dead, we were consigning him to the charge of the 
nurses, when a strong vibratory motion was observable in the tongue. This 
continued for perhaps a minute. At the expiration of this period, there 
issued from the distended and motionless jaws a voice -- such as it would 
be madness in me to attempt describing. There are, indeed, two or three 
epithets which might be considered as applicable to it in part; I might 
say, for example, that the sound was harsh, and broken and hollow; but the 
hideous whole is indescribable, for the simple reason that no similar 
sounds have ever jarred upon the ear of humanity. There were two 
particulars, nevertheless, which I thought then, and still think, might 
fairly be stated as characteristic of the intonation -- as well adapted to 
convey some idea of its unearthly peculiarity. In the first place, the 
voice seemed to reach our ears -- at least mine -- from a vast distance, 
or from some deep cavern within the earth. In the second place, it 
impressed me (I fear, indeed, that it will be impossible to make myself 
comprehended) as gelatinous or glutinous matters impress the sense of 
touch.

    I have spoken both of "sound" and of "voice." I mean to say that the 
sound was one of distinct -- of even wonderfully, thrillingly distinct -- 
syllabification. M. Valdemar spoke -- obviously in reply to the question I 
had propounded to him a few minutes before. I had asked him, it will be 
remembered, if he still slept. He now said:

    "Yes; -- no; -- I have been sleeping -- and now -- now -- I am dead.

    No person present even affected to deny, or attempted to repress, the 
unutterable, shuddering horror which these few words, thus uttered, were 
so well calculated to convey. Mr. L___l (the student) swooned. The nurses 
immediately left the chamber, and could not be induced to return. My own 
impressions I would not pretend to render intelligible to the reader. For 
nearly an hour, we busied ourselves, silently -- without the utterance of 
a word -- in endeavors to revive Mr. L___l. When he came to himself, we 
addressed ourselves again to an investigation of M. Valdemar's condition.

    It remained in all respects as I have last described it, with the 
exception that the mirror no longer afforded evidence of respiration. An 
attempt to draw blood from the arm failed. I should mention, too, that 
this limb was no farther subject to my will. I endeavored in vain to make 
it follow the direction of my hand. The only real indication, indeed, of 
the mesmeric influence, was now found in the vibratory movement of the 
tongue, whenever I addressed M. Valdemar a question. He seemed to be 
making an effort to reply, but had no longer sufficient volition. To 
queries put to him by any other person than myself he seemed utterly 
insensible -- although I endeavored to place each member of the company in 
mesmeric rapport with him. I believe that I have now related all that is 
necessary to an understanding of the sleep-waker's state at this epoch. 
Other nurses were procured; and at ten o'clock I left the house in company 
with the two physicians and Mr. L___l.

    In the afternoon we all called again to see the patient. His condition 
remained precisely the same. We had now some discussion as to the 
propriety and feasibility of awakening him; but we had little difficulty 
in agreeing that no good purpose would be served by so doing. It was 
evident that, so far, death (or what is usually termed death) had been 
arrested by the mesmeric process. It seemed clear to us all that to awaken 
M. Valdemar would be merely to insure his instant, or at least his speedy 
dissolution.

    From this period until the close of last week -- an interval of nearly 
seven months -- we continued to make daily calls at M. Valdemar's house, 
accompanied, now and then, by medical and other friends. All this time the 
sleeper-waker remained exactly as I have last described him. The nurses' 
attentions were continual.

    It was on Friday last that we finally resolved to make the experiment 
of awakening, or attempting to awaken him; and it is the (perhaps) 
unfortunate result of this latter experiment which has given rise to so 
much discussion in private circles -- to so much of what I cannot help 
thinking unwarranted popular feeling.

    For the purpose of relieving M. Valdemar from the mesmeric trance, I 
made use of the customary passes. These, for a time, were unsuccessful. 
The first indication of revival was afforded by a partial descent of the 
iris. It was observed, as especially remarkable, that this lowering of the 
pupil was accompanied by the profuse out-flowing of a yellowish ichor 
(from beneath the lids) of a pungent and highly offensive odor.

    It was now suggested that I should attempt to influence the patient's 
arm, as heretofore. I made the attempt and failed. Dr. F___ then intimated 
a desire to have me put a question. I did so, as follows:

    "M. Valdemar, can you explain to us what are your feelings or wishes 
now?"

    There was an instant return of the hectic circles on the cheeks; the 
tongue quivered, or rather rolled violently in the mouth (although the 
jaws and lips remained rigid as before;) and at length the same hideous 
voice which I have already described, broke forth:

    "For God's sake! -- quick! -- quick! -- put me to sleep -- or, quick! 
-- waken me! -- quick! -- I say to you that I am dead!"

    I was thoroughly unnerved, and for an instant remained undecided what 
to do. At first I made an endeavor to re-compose the patient; but, failing 
in this through total abeyance of the will, I retraced my steps and as 
earnestly struggled to awaken him. In this attempt I soon saw that I 
should be successful -- or at least I soon fancied that my success would 
be complete -- and I am sure that all in the room were prepared to see the 
patient awaken.

    For what really occurred, however, it is quite impossible that any 
human being could have been prepared.

    As I rapidly made the mesmeric passes, amid ejaculations of "dead! 
dead!" absolutely bursting from the tongue and not from the lips of the 
sufferer, his whole frame at once -- within the space of a single minute, 
or even less, shrunk -- crumbled -- absolutely rotted away beneath my 
hands. Upon the bed, before that whole company, there lay a nearly liquid 
mass of loathsome -- of detestable putridity.