St. Mary's gazette., 1866-05-03

disarranged and even torn. Sounds have
come from coffns while being let down in
to the grave, or seen after, but no aushen-
ticated account has ever; come to the VIII
ter's notice of person. coming to life after
the coffin has been screwed down; and yet
cofins have been found hurst open, anj
appearances have been observed which
would naturally be exhibited after some
desperate struggle. But it is the nature
of all dead bodies ito swell; this process
commences on thes instant of life's cessa-
ton, because decomposition begins pre-
paratory to the eorruption which preeedes
our return to that dust from which We
came This decomposition generates gases,
which keep on expanding until they COM
pei an outlet There is a we'll authentica-
ted case (and very similar instances
where body, after being laid on desec-
ting table, was suddenly heayed up and
thorwn on the floor in the presence of the
young medical Students; 1t was by the
force of the exploding gas which had been
generated within the body, WHICH had
been found drowned"
Persons may have been put in q coffin
before they were perfectly dead, but 1t Is
absurd to suppose that life is possible after
au interval of perfect seclusion from fresh
air from the time of fastening the lid until
the coffin reaches its last resting place
The action of the gas in the cada-
yer will naturally and sufficiently eS-
plain all the appearances observed on oc-
cassious Of opening the coffin after buri-
al
The description which lIirpocrates, the
''Fathcr of Medicine, gave of death over
two thousand years ago, has never been lin
proved upon. The forehead wripklcd
aud dry; the eye sunken the nose pointed
and b.r,lercd with violet or black circle;
the lips hanging down; the checks sunkhl;
the chin wrinkled and hard; the color OF
the skin leaden or violet; the hairs of the
nose and eyclashes sprinked with aytllow-
ish white dust" This is as to the face;
and when all observed, we may know that
that face can never be lighted up to life
again But there are other proofs which
do not leave the shadow Of doubt, as
when the heart ceases to beat; the skin is
pale and cold; film is over the eye; the
Joints, first rigid, have become flexible;
ans! dark grccnish color begins to form
about he skin Of the abdomen, the infa!li-
bic sign Of beginning corruption. But ns
we would have it done to us as the last re-
quest, let us with the utmost Willingness
allow the poor, helpless, uaresistlng frame
to remain at least forty-cght hours under
the unfastened lid afterthe surest proofof. all
has been noticed, the cessation of all move
mentsQf the chest and abdomen, for then
breath of life has gone cut forever. 1h"
momcnts Immediately y preceding dea h
from disease arc probably those Of utter III
senSibility TO all pain, or Of delightful
pasoivitv, from that universal relaxation Of
everything which pertains to the physical
condition Hence Louis NJ ", +, is reported
to have died, saying, u thought dying had
been more difficult" The greatest sur
rcon Of all ages, v Niilinm Hunter. while
dyiug said, If this be dying, it is q pleas
ant thing 10 die Dear reader, may you
and / 20 live tbat, III lhr practice Of bodily
tenporanccs and moral prrifies, death may
be to Us the gate of endless joy and sinl"so
bliss -H3ou{ .1mt1aruH