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!