The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-27
Pleasant Modes OF Suicide.


A Sunday paper, rejecting on the death
of Walker from hemlock poisoning, vens
lures the inquiry if those who are tired
of the pains and trials of this life and are
willing to "jump the life to come" may
not, new that hemlock has proven to be
a painless poison, be tempted to fly to it
as pleasant source of relief from worldly
cares and tribulations. 1t does not,
however, appear, from the narrative of
the effects of cOnium as exhibited in the
case of Walker, that his was a painless
death, and would be, therefore, adopted
by suicides nor is it by any means es-
tablished that the only death which we
now know is more or less consequent up
on physical agony and CONFUSION, or
that if an easy falling asleep once dis
covered would induce frequent suicide.
The lunatics who commit suicide do not
always choose the painless methods of
ending existence, because they are luna
tics. Death, by the fumes of carbonic
acid gas emitted from charcoal is pain.
less; yet few choose it. Prussic acid
produces an easy death, but the instances
are exceedingly rare in which it has
been resorted to by suicides, and there
are numerous drugs which kill without
occasioning pain or physical distress,
which the suicide never makes use of.
Death from exposure to excessive cold is
perhaps the most tranquil or delightful
form of dissolution, but it is extremely
questionable if suicide is 30 deliberate an
act that an individual camly and philo-
sophically contemplating self-destruction
would be willing to wait until the Their
mometer fell 20 or 80 degrees below zero
before he determined to put his longest.
tied resolve into execution. The fact is,
that suicide is always, or nearly always,
a sudden and unprecedented act, and
is accomplished by means that are of
most convenient access. Drowning is
the means most usually selected, because
it is the most accessible, and it is doubt
full whether one in hundred who re-
sorts to that mode of death is aware that
it is not only an easy, but is, if we may
be allowed the expression, most enjoy
able death. The struggles at the outset
arc said to be prompted by terror, not by
pain, which commences later, and is sue
ceeded by pleasing languor. A gentle
man of veracity, who was drowned, and
afterward restored to life, stated that he
had not experienced the slightest feeling
of sufocation. The stream was trans
parent, the day brilliant, and as he stood
upright, he could see the sun shining
through the water, with dreamy
consciousness that his eyes were about
to be closed upon it forever. Yet he
neither feared his fate, nor wished to
avert it. A sleepy sensation, which
soothed and gratifed him, made a
luxurious bed of a watery grave. AnOth-
or, who was drowned and restored, said
that such was his delight in cropping at
the bottom, thata feeling of anger passed
through his mind against the persons
who pulled him out. Similar pleasing
sensations attend death by hanging, al
though such are not taken into account
by those who select that method of self
destruction, which is next to drowning
and shooting, perhaps the most usual
chosen by suicides. IL suicides we're not
really temporary lunatics, $hey would
die by the most agreeable method, be-
cause they would die deliberately. But
they are always in hurry. Their act
is always an impulsive one, and they
have no time to choose between any
means of death and another, especially
when they would meet with the objec-
tons of the druggists to Illustrate them
in seeking to put an end to their ex-
istence by means of narcotics and Sc
datiyes that are VIGOROUSLY the most
daodIu