The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-09-04
The Causes of Sudden Death.

A great many persons have Il serious
dread of sudden devlh even some OF the
old i,uryts have spcciat petition for de-
hvcrancc fron it As an evil. In certain
cases it many be, wl.rn young man in
the prime Of manhood is cut down like u
flower from the midst Of :,,l lifc's hopes and
schemes when the Strong man is stricken
down from beside his bride ut The altar, or
the mother is snatchcl away from the era
die of her babe pcrchancc violently torn
from earth by tho lightniny's stroke or some
catastrhrhe-then, indeed, there may he
something even peculiarly hcart-rrn,lng in
the very sidlcnness Of the stroke. I;ut
where death, without even a moments warn-
ing, comes naturally, as it came to the late
Secretary Of State, at the close of lon~
course OF life, inlustriously y and well spent,
there Is often something peculiarly ittiu"
and even beautiful in the very su,l,lcnness OF
the stroke. The pain is absolutely nothing
death is without this sting. 1t would
seem, therefore, the most perfectly natural
OF all DEATHS for there is no dsproporuon-
aic wear and tear Of one organ, but simply
ceasiny to live. The weary wheels of
life stand still, not from Reorganization,
but simply from want of any further mo.
tive power.
The causes Of this class Of sudden death
are of course Understanding quito INV
stcrious. In the case OF Secretary Nancy it.
was supposed to be the heart :; perhaps tits,
more commonly the brain. These two,be-
tween them, are the chief ccntrcs' os the
laost suddenly fatal diseases. Perhaps the
case of nervous or simple apoplcXy is the
'most-remaik;,Gle Of all these 1t gives no
mark of its approach, and it leaves absolute
ly 10 trace Of disorganization or disturbance
i'll any part Of the PHYSICAL framework.
Not muscle or nervous centre may re.
tain the slightest trace Of tho lrcsensc or
the absence Of any agent noXious or ncccs-
sary to life, otherwise than is ususl. 1t is
simple failure Of vitality, and the ana.oil;st
feels, al the conclusion Of his work, That
could the mechanism Of nature onlg4Aave
been kept in motion duriug few seconds of
respite, and the vital spark have reiurucJ
to its duty, il would have found no part Of
the material framework in the slightest de-
gree injured or even paincd.
These attacks usually occur in old ape,
when the work OF life is done, and the great
work Of rightly parting with earth alone
remains. Thus, for instance, Mr.. Marcy
was in the list year Of his age lie had
served +ills country in war, served rs Secrc-
tary OF War, and succeeded Daniel Webster
rs Secretary Of State, and had gracefully
!ald aside all these duties. At such PC
Rod, since death must come, there arc many
advantages in qniet departure like the one
alluded to. ''SoI,Iy, suddenly and alone"
was the earnest petition of one well known
in regard to his death. In such cases the
pam OF parting is sparcd-tlat most terri
ble OF pains TO many n well constituted mind.
!;ousseau wished to gaze on the setting sun
for the last time. And there must be sonic.
thing in consciously lookingAt the earth,
the sky, old scenes and old friends for the
last ti,ne,,o which we can never conceive
fully but once in life, aud that once can give
back no record, unless it be by that last
anxious glance. .around.fs3 Fgfa,g-,
:. In regard 10 the more immediate causes
of these, sudden, deaths, the too severe ex-
Gitements Of Sexertions of public life must
greatly tend to. produce them. There is a
wear and tear, not only Of the intellectual
systems, but Of the heart, with all it's hopes,
Tears and anxieties, upon which tho cares Of
craftsmanship must Tell daily. Nor. is it
commonly considered that the reaction from
sueh cares and duties may often prove rs
injurious, E,i as the over pressure of them. #T<
=, " y! pas often been remarked how fatal the
Fourth Of July has been to our oreaI man an,
'ltls even nossfresh in the ,sme,norv rfssR
that General Taylor could and tlid f,s,sa,
withstand The camp life of Mexican ca,nn.