Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-01-31
PonteneIle ON the SIGNS of Death.

of terminating life ) ye, rapid as i, is, the body
has first leisure 10 feel and the mind TO reflect
On the first a.emp, by one of the fanatic ad.
herents of Spain TO assassina,e William Prince
OF Orange, who took the lead in the revoll Of
the Netherlands, the ball passed through tho
bones of his face, and brought him TO the
ground. In the ins,an, Of time preceding stu
pefacion, he was able TO frame the notion that
The ceiling Of the room had fallen and crushed
him. The cannon shot which plunged into
the brain Of Charles XII. did not prevent him
from seizing his sword by the hiIt The idea
OF an attack, and the necessity for defence,
were impressed upon him by blow which we
should have supposed too tremendous to leave
an interval for thought. Bu, i, by no means
follows that the inflc,ion of fatal violence is
accompanied by pang. From what is known
of the frs, effects of gunshol wounds, i. i.
probable that the impression is rather stunning
than acute. Unless death be Immediate. the
pain is as varied as the nature of The injuries,
and these are pas, counting up. But there is
nothing singular in the dying sensations, though
Lord Byron remarked the physiological pecu-
liarity, lha, the expression is invariably that Of
languor while in death from stab, the coun-
lenance reflects the traits of natural character
! s
Some Of the cases are of interest to show with
what Sigh, disturbance life may 60 on under
mortal wounds til il suddenly comes to final
stop. A foot soldier al Waterloo, pierced by
muske. ball in the hip, begged wafer from
trooper, W no CHANGED 10 be possessed of a can
teen of beer The wounded man drank, re-
turned his heartiest thanks, mentioned tha, his
regiment was nearly extermnated and having
lol -
rear, fell to the earth, and with one conyu!sve
movemen, of his limbs, concluded his career
Yet his voice" says the trooper, who him
self tells The story, gave scarcely the smallest
signs of weakness" Captain Basil Hall, who
in his early youth was present at the baule of
Corunna, has singled ou. from the confusion
which consigns TO oblivion the woes and gal
laniry Of war, another instance extremely simi
lar, which occurred on that occasion. An old
officer, who was sho, in the head, arrived, pale
and faint, at the temporary hospital, and begged
the surgeon 10 look at his wound, which was
pronounced 10 be mortal Indeed fear so,"
he responded with impeded u,erance-" and
ye, | should like very much TO live little lon.
ger-if i. were possible" He laid his sword
upon s'one by his side, as gently" Gays
Hall. as If its steel had been turned INTO g lass
and almost Immediately sunk dead upon The
turf"
Drowning was held in horror by some Of The
ancients, who conceived the soul 10 be a fire,
and that the water would pu. i. out. But
Sybari.e could hardly have quarrelIed with
death. The struggles at the onset are prompt
ed by terror, not by pain, which commences
later, and is soon succeeded by pleasing Ian.
guor nay, some, if not ma joriy, escape al
together the interval Of suffering. A gentle
man, for whose accuracy we can vouch, told
US he had not experienced the slightest feeling
of suffoca,ion The stream was transparent,
the day brilliant, and as he stood upright, he
could see the sun shining through the water,
with dreamy consciousness that his eyes
were about to close upon il forever. Yet he
neither feared his fate, nor wished 10 avert II.
A sleepy sensation, which soolhed and grail
fed him, made luxurious bed OF waery
grave. A friend informed Molhele Vayer, iha,
such was his delight in cropping al the bottom.
tha, feeling of anger passed through his mind
agans. the persons who pulled him out. II
is probable ha, some of our readers may have
seen singularIy striking accoun, of recovery
from drowning by highly distinguished Off
Ger, still living, who also speaks of the total
absence of pain while under the waves but
adds circumstance of startling interest name
ly, that during the few moments of conscious
ness, the whole events Of his previous life,
from childhood seemed TO repass with light.
ning-Iike rapidly and brightness before his
eyes; narration which shows on wha, accu-
rate knowledge the Oriental framed his story
of the SAllan. who dipped his head into ba.
sin of wafer, and had, as i. were, gone through
all the adventures of drowned life before he
lifted i, out again. No one can have the slight
est disposition TO question the evidence in the
recent English case, but we do not presume
10 auemp. the physiological explanation.
That 10 be frozen TO death must be fright |
full torture, many would consider certain from
their own experience of the effects of cold
But here we fall into The usual error OF sop-
posing lha, the suffering will increase with The
energy Of the agent, which could only DO the
case if senslbI,y remained The same Intense
cold brings on speedy sleep, which fasclnate'
the senses aud fairly beguiles men out oil their
lives A friend OF Robert Royle. who was
once overtaken by drowsiness while comiora'
Div seated on The side of sIedge, assured him
that he had neither power nor inclination 20 ask
for help. and unless his companions had OBJ
served his condition he would have welcomed
he snow for his winding sheet. But the mosl
curious example OF The seductive power of cold
is 10 be found IN The adventures OF the botanical
party who, in Cooks first voyage, were caught