The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-08-04
VOL. XXXVIII.}
..THE HOUR OF DEATH"


e. . +
In Mr.. John Trimble's Is Notable
Things Of Our Own Times" are some 9
accounts of the curiosities of scientific
vestigation-amongt the following con-
cerning the hour of death: -.-.
The subject Of the hour of death,
(says Mr.. Hayiland, an eminent surgeon,
in a paper read to the British Associa
tion,) has occupied the attention Of
medical writer's from the time of Aetius,
who fourished at the Court of Constan-
tinople 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 I
that the time had now arrived for a
thorough. investigation of the facts in
our possession, inasmuch as if there be
any latent truth in them Of Importance
to mankind, it is our simple duty to in
woke that truth, and avail ourselves of
its teachings in the practice of medicine.
He remarked that the physicians duties
does not cease when he has ascertained
the disease of the patient, and prescribed
medicine to remove it; by medicine
alone the patient is not healed; he has
to act upon the advice of Hippocrates
and see that those in attendance do their
duty also, and in his absence watch ev-
cry phase and by the living present =
But, to SO 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 dis
ease; he must know the changefulness
of our bodies in health; he must take due
account of this changefulness when ILL
ness supervenes; he must know when
they are at the lowest ebb; for this
knowledge is a most necessary ele-
ment of success in his combat with the
enemy he is implored to encounter. OF
late years the art Of nursing has more
than ever occupied the thought O. ply
sicians and the laity at large. We-have
had noble efforts made in the camp and
at home to sooth the anguish of the
wounded and diseased.
The author has collected over five
thousand cases Of death, with the hour
of death, and other circumstances re-
corded, which he had tabulated, and
exhibited on large chart, the different
collections being distinguished by col
ored diagrams. BY this chart he showed
that in one thousand cases of death in
children under five years of age, the
period of greatest mortality occurred
between the hours of one and eight A. M,
that an extraordinary depression took
place in, the. hours between nine and
| twelve P M, and the ratio of mortality
| was at its minimum. He then COM
pared these statistics with 1891 deaths
| from all causes, and the chart showed
how 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 in the
wave lines, yet between the hours of
four and eight A. M there was depres-
sion when compared with the first four
hours period. aha ~ T5Ic
He then showed that small numbers
are not sufficient for statistical truth,
and he therefore urged upon his provin
cial brethren to assist him in his work
by forwarding to him data for further
Investigation of this interesting subject.
He contended that the tables on the
chart proved the extraordinary mortal
ity in the early hours of the morning,
when the powers of life are at their
lowest ebb, and, strange to say, when
the patient was most cared for. He
urged the necessity of feeding and stim-
ulating the patient at their weakest hour,
so as to tide them over a critical period;
and, even if death be inevitable, to SO
support the patient that he might at
least have 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
of5teaching 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 its treatment might
He felt convinced that it was one which
had occupied the attention of many of
his hearers when they had been watch
ing hour by hour the fitful change of
disease in the persons dear to them, or
of those to whom, as nurse, they had
desired conscentiously to do their duty.
To simplify this duty and to claim their