BR 3-2: Seven stories of mystery and horror

'I've been sleeping, but now I'm dead,' said Mr Valdemar. (p.39)

     This book has seven stories which are all intriguing and appealing to the readers. Among them, I'll introduce my favorite story.

     The main character is a hypnotist who helps sick people with their bodies and minds. In this time, Mr Valdemar is his patient, who is dying and suffer from pain. He wants to die quickly rather live longer. Therefore, the doctor hypnotizes him in order to comfort his pain and allows him to die more easily. As usual, the doctor starts and notices that he is not dying but sleeping. Moreover, the doctor talks to him, he answers his question as he is living. Even after a few months passes, his state doesn't change. This is different from other patients whom the doctor has ever seen. He is getting guilty that he prevents him from dying comfortably. At last, he ends the hypnotism. Suddenly, yellow liquid comes from his body and smells bad. His body is disappearing...

     Can you guess the reason that the patient has been dying?

Poe, Allan Edgar. (2005). Seven stories of mystery and horror. Macmillan reader; Oxford.