The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-07-16
''GEle Hour OF EBeaIa'7--A SCien-
tFfic investigation.

In Nir. JOHN limbs 'tNotable Things
Of Our Own Time" are some accounts of
the curiosities of scientific investigation
among them the following concerning the
hour Of death
~ he subject of the hour Of death (says
Mr.. Haviland, an eminent surgeon, IN
paper read to the British Associatiou), has
occupied The attention OF medical writers
from the time of Aetius, who Aourished at
the court Of Constantinople in the fifth
century, up to the present date, but no
practical fruit has been the result for the
physician In his treatment of disease. He
concluded that the time had now arrived
for thorough investigation of the facts in
our possession, inasmuch as ifthere b. any
latent truth in them of Importance to mas
kind, 1t Is our simple duty 10 evoke that
truth, and avail ourselves Of its teachings
IN the practice Of medicine He remarked
that the physicians duties do net Cease
when lie has ascerlained the disease Of his
patient, and prescribed medicine TO remove
1t by medicine alone the patient is not
healed; he has TO act upon the advice of
HiPPocTates, and see that those in attend
ance do their duty also, and in his absence
watch every phase and act in the living
present. But, to 50 direct, the physician
must know each cause of change, and By
his knowledge anticipate what may occur;
lay down simple rules for the guidance Of
friends and nurses, and teach them how
to watch each circumstance Of disease
he must know the changelulness Of our
bodies in health be must take due ac-
count Of this changefulness when illness
supervenes he must know when all our
vital functions are at their height lie must
know when they are at their lowest ebb,
for this knowledge is most necessary
element of success in his combat with tie
enemy he is imPlored to enc Junter. Of
late years the art of nursing has more than
ever occupied the thoughts Of physicians
and the lairy at large. We haye had noble
efforts made in the camp and at home, to
soothe the anguish Of the wounded and
diseased.
The author Lad collected over 5000
cases Of death, with the hour Of death and
clrcumstaEccs recorded, which he had tab
ulated, and exhibited on a large chart, the
difficult connections being distinguished
by colored diagrams BY this chart he
showed that in 600 cases of death in
children under five years of age the great
est mortality took place between the hours
OF one and eight a. m. that an extraor-
dlnary depression took place in the sue
ceeding hours between nine and twelve D.
m., and that the ratio of mortality was at
its minimum. He then compared these
statistics with 1881 deaths from all
causes, and the chart showed how remark
ably the wave lines of death compared
with those above. lie then compared
deaths from consumption, which, although
they showed general resemblance In the
wave line, yet between the hours of four
TO eight Il. m. there was depression when
compared with the first four hours period.
He showed that small numbers are not
sufficient for statistical truth, and he
therefore urged upon his provincial breth-
rem to assist him III bis work by forwarding
to him data for further investigation into
| this interesting subject.
He contended that the tables on the
chart proved the extraordinary mortality
in the early hours Of the morning when
| the powers of life were at their lowest
ebb, and strange 10 say, when the patient
was most cared for. lie urged the neces-
sity of feeding and stimulating the patients
at their weakest hour, so as TO tide them
over a critical period and even if death
be inevitable, to support the patient that
he may have a few more hours Of life
snatched from eternity TO admit of his be-
ing able to carry out some duty, pardon
some enemy, or see some beloved friend
He next nrged upon his professional breth-
ren the Importance of teaching friends and
nurses how to attend those under their
charge. He concluded by saying that the
subject itself required no apology for its
introduction to the association, however
| much tue mode of his treating it might.
He felt convinced that it was one which
lad occupied the attention of many of his
hearers when they had been watching
hour by hour the fitful changes of disease
in the persons Of those most dear to them,
or OF those TO whom as nurse sthey had de-
sired conscientiously TO do their duty To
| simplify this duty and to calm this solici-
tude, at time when either the excess of
the one or an ignorant neglect Of the other
| might be fatal, was one of the main OBJ
Jects of this investigation and he felt
convinced, however imperfectly he might
have expressed his opinions on the subject,
that it is one of great interest, not only to
his profession, but 10 the community al
| large.
"A Wisconsin paper describes freak