Doctor Heidegger’s Experiment

story by Hawthorne

Also known as: “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

Doctor Heidegger’s Experiment, story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in Twice-Told Tales (1837). Elderly Dr. Heidegger and four of his contemporaries participate in his scientific experiment on aging. Dr. Heidegger applies water from the Fountain of Youth to a faded rose; the flower regains its freshness and beauty. After drinking some of the fabled water, each of the three male participants gradually reverts to young manhood and all three woo the sole female among them, whose...