The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-23
TIE MARCH MAGAZINES.
"rVTNAn's.v


has the following table OF eontents:-
"Tbe Eeor Hunt. sketch of life in Swe-
den. from the MS. Of our Swedish contribu-
tor; ''School Days at the Sacred Heart, by L.
de NJ: 'Browler's Defalcation," A. Webster,
Jr.; babel in the Midst of Us, George
Wakeman; ''Sketches in Color"--iv, Elizabeth
Kilham; lis Death Painful +. p. Buffet, NJ
d.; Concerning Charlotte ELL, Author of
'Still-Life in Paris; Our Trip to Egypt as
Guests of the Viceroy, at the opening of the
Suez Canal Elisee Reclus representing Put
Rams Mdgdziae); "A Womans Wiles,' l..
w. Jennison; Americans, and Some of
their characteristics, L. M. Coan, M. D.;
1.-The 'Subvented' Church and the Circum-
vented Churches" Author of "Our Esta-
blished Church; 'Table-Talk," Charlton t.
Lewis; "Bryant's Translation of Homer;"
Literature at Home" r. II. Stoddard;
Literature, Science, and Art Abroad, Bay
ard Taylor; Current Events" +. b. Per-
kins; publishers Programme" note by the
new editor, Parke Goodwin.
From the article entitled 'Is Death Pain
full ?" we quote the following upon subject
in which everybody is Interested
II we find that pain has a useful object to
serve, and that that object is accomplished
before death occurs, is not the inference a
proper one that suffering then ceases? The
object of pain is purely benevolent-to warn
us of danger, and to force us to take measures
to avert it. If there is any exception to the
rule, it is comprehended in the curse pro-
nounced upon woman. Without pain to
direct attention to the fact, half of our dis
eases would be undetected; and without it to
force us to take rest, which is the great anti
dote, many more of them would go on to
fatal termination. It is the burglar-alarm to
wefn us when our premises are invaded. 1t
is not an essential of disease, nor one of the
elements of danger, as is so often thought;
but its duty is to give the signal so long as
danger exists. It disappears simultaneously
with the termination of the disease. 1t some
times disappears while the disease continues,
but then its departure is ominous of evil. It
has gone, not because it has accomplished its
object but because it has failed to do so. The
disease has triumphed in some particular part,
and death of that portion is occurring, and
suffering ceases because it can no longer
be of use. Have we not a right to rea-
son that, as it is in part, so it will be
in the whole? Is it not. likely, reason
ing from analogy, that all suffering
should cease when it is certain that death of
the whole must take place! Perhaps this
cessation of suffering takes place only few
moments before death, too late for any signal
to that effect from the patient; but that it
often does occur, we know from the grateful
confession of many a sufferer; and is it not
contrary to all reason to suppose that, after it
once has ceased, it will make a useless onset
again at the very last moment?
Reasons such as these are certainly a suffi-
cient reply to merely popular prejudice, of
long standing though it may have been. But
facts also tend to confirm the position that
has been taken.
An instance coming under the personal
observation of the writer is to the point.
B, q clerk in a store in New Haven, in
formed one of his brethren behind the coun-
ter that he intended to go into the cellar and
hang himself, and accordingly started. His
friend, after short time, had occasion also
to descend as B we'll knew would be the
case; and, to his surprise, found the unfortu-
nate clerk suspended the neck, and appa-
rently dead. To cut the rope and convey
him to the counter above was the work of
only few moments There, after the vigo-
rous manipulations of physicians for about
twenty minutes, he revived, but was informed
by his medical attendants that three minutes
longer in the peculiar position in which he
had been found would have terminated his
period of service with his employers. After
he had sufficiently recovered, he told his
tale, and with enough of the fear of death,
Just escaped, before his eyes, to ensure its
veracity. He had no intention of committing
suicide, but, with the moose about the chin,
while standing upon an almost invisible sup
port, he intended, as grim joke, to present
the appearance of hanging to the clerk who
was shortly to descend to the cellar. Un
fortunately for his plan, the support or
which he was standing fell from be
meath his feet, the moose slipped below
the chin, and he actually was suspended
by the neck. Now comes that which
may be of interest by way of argument. A
first he experienced decided discomfort from
the pressure of the rope, and difficulty o.
breathing; but soon all pain either ceased, o.
was unnoticed in his efforts to escape. He
first attempted to lift himself by grasping tn,
rope above his head but failed. Thinking
of pair of scissors in his vest-pocket he
next attempted to cut the rope; but, whil
working vigorously in this way, his visioI
failed, his grasp upon the cutting instrument
relaxed, and he heard it drop to the floor, an6
consciousness was gone, until it returned as
he was lying upon the counter. Here we
have the unvarnished tale of one who, to al
practical purposes, had experienced the de
lights of hanging. 1t can be assumed thai
he never would have experienced more pair
if he had remained hanging until dead; fol
sensation and consciousness had gone and
as their disappearance depended on a certain
condition produced by the pressure of thu
rope, it is fair to presume that they woult
have remained absent so long as that pressur
continued His pain was not great, and b,
no means the imagined pain of the dyinI
moment, for that moment did not occur; an
it actually decreased and disappeared as deaf
was approaching The contortions and con
vulsions which are supposed to indicate sucl
horrible suffering, and which he may hav
been the subject of before he was discovered