The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-05
" The Hour of Death "A scieatthc
Investigation.


In Mr.. John Timbs's "Notable Things Of Our
Own Time," are some accounts OF the curiosities
Of scientific stigaton--smong them the fol.
lowing concerning the hour of death:
1.-The subject Of the hour of death, (says Mr..
Haviand, an eminent surgeon, In paper read TO
the British AssOciati0n,) has occupied the atten-
ton of medical writers from the time OF Aotius,
who 1ourished at the court of Constsnunople In
the fifth century, up TO the present date, but no
practical fruit has been the result for the phys'
can IN his treatment of disease. He concluded
that the time had now arrived for thorough In
vestigation Of the facts in our possession, mas.
much as II there be any latent truth in them OF
importance to mankind, it is our simple duty to
evoke that truth, and avail ourselves of its teach
ings in the practice OF medicine. He remarked
that the physicians duties do not cease when he
bas sscertained 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 Hppocrstes, and see that
those in attendance do their duty Also and In his
absence watch every phase and act in the living
patient. But. to so direct, the physician must
know each cause Of change, and by his knowl-
edge anticipate what may occur lay down SIM
pie rules for the guidance of friends and nurses,
and teach them how to watch each Circumstance
of disease; he must know the changefulness of
our bodies in health he must take due account
of this changefuness when illness supervenes; he
must know when all our vital functions are at
their height; he must know when they are at their
lowest ebb, for this knowledge is most neces.
sary element of success in his combat with the
enemy he is implored to encounter. OF late
years the art of nursing has more than ever 0ccu-
pied the thoughts of physicians and the laity at
large. We have had noble efforts made in the
camp and at home to soOthe the anguish OF the
wounded and diseased.
a. The author had collected over 5000 cases of
DEATH with the hour of death, and other circum-
Stances recorded, which he had tabuated, aud
exhibited on a large chart, the difficult col
lections being distinguished by colored diagrams.
| By this chart he showed that in 1000 cases of
death in children under five years of age the pc
RODS of the greatest mortality took place between
| the hours of one and eight A. NJ; that an extra
| ordinary depression took place in the succeeding
| hours between nine and twelve P. NJ, and that the
ratio of mortality was at its minimum. He then
compared these statistics with 2S9l deaths from
| all causes, and the chart showed hew remarkably
the wave lines of death compared with those
above. He then compared these diagrams with
| deaths from consumption, which, although they
! showed general resemblance 10 the wave line,
yet between the hours Of four to eight A. NJ. there
! was depression when compared with the first
four hours period. He showed that small mum.
beTs not sufficient for q statistical truth, and
! he therefore urged upon his provincial breth'
| rem TO assist him in this work by forwarding to
him data for further investigation OF this interest
ing subject.
| proved the extraordinary mortality in the early
| hours of the morning, when the powers of life
were at their lowest cob, and strange to say,
! when the patient was most cared for. he urged
the necessity for feeding and stimulating the pa.
tents at their weakest hour, 80 as to tide them
over a critical period and, even if death be in
evitable, to support the patient that he might at
least have a few hours more of life snatched from
eternity to admit of his being able TO carry out
some neglected duty. pardon some enemy, or see
some beloved friend. He next urged upon his
| professional brethren the importance of teaching
friends and nurses how TO attend to those under
their charge. He concluded by saying that the
subject itself required no apology for its intro
duction to the association, however much the
mode of his treating it might. He felt convinced
that ii was one which had occupied the attention
of many of his hearers when they had been watch
ing hour by hour the fitful changes of disease in
the persons of those dear to them, or Of those TO
whom, as nurses, they had desired conscientiously
to do their duty. To simplify this duty aud to
calm this solictude, at a time when either an
excess of the one or an ignorant neglect of the
other might be fatal, was one of the main objects
of this investigation; and he felt convinced, how.
ever imperfectly be might have expressed hi;
opinions the subject, that it is one of deep in
terest not only to his profession, but to the com
munity at large"