The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-05-14

the train dfo- up, Iady from my own
town, and who, when at home, lived cX.
actly opposite to me. She was an init.
mate friend of the wife of the person to
whom | have alluded. went to the back
of the train, crossed the line on TO the
other platform and introduced myself to
the lady, of course remarking how
strange it was that two neighbors, with
out any arrangement for the purpose,
should meet two hundred miles away
from their respective homes. She told me
the occasion of her taking this long jour
ney was painful one, and that she was
going to the house of her friend Mrs. -,
the wife of our late fellow-townsman.
He was very seriously i'll, and his wife,
her friend had written she was nearly
exhausted by anxiety and the fatigues of
nursing; and that she, my neighbOr, was
proceeding to assist, as well as she could,
by her presence and help in the sick
household. This was the explanation of
our meeting SO long a distance from
home.
The train moved on; and heard moth
ing more of any of the persons alluded
to until | reached my own home at the
expiration of my holiday, when upon in
quiry | found that Mr.. - was still
very i'll, that indeed there was no reason
able hope of his recovery, and that in all
probability few days must bring about
a conclusion of the matter by the death
of the sufferer. then for week or two
Loot Sifrht nf thn ~, 40 buu vi nfs
business calls away from home to attend
to; but upon my second return | saw the
father of the lady whom | had met in
the train at Totness, and who had 50 gen
erously gone to help her friend in her
trouble; and upon asking him what news
of Mr.. -, he told me his daughter was
still there, and that Mr.. -, although
still alive and fast recovering his usual
health, had to all appearance died. that
coffin was made, and the supposed
corpse placed in it; and that upon the ar
rival of the day appointed for the fu-
neral, and at the time for making the
latest preparations for removing the bier,
the undertaker's man proceeded to screw
the lid upon the coffin, when, to the
CONSERVATION of the workman, he saw
the body move and attempt to turn over.
After his first fright, the man saw that
he was in the presence of life and not
death, and rendered what assistance was
necessary to enable the prisoner to escape
from his very perilous position. The
supposed dead man gradually recovered
consciousness; but his surprise and hor-
ror were great, as he was fully sensible
before the habiliments of death could be
removed from his person.
The crisis being past, comparative
health and strength soon came; and
much to the joy of wife and friends, he
was able to again enter into active life
and its concerns. Since the event Just
described, Mr.. - has thoroughly re.
covered, but has no remembrance what,
ever of the intervening days between his
supposed death and resuscitation
The practical application of the fore.
going cases is that every one should learn
to know how to distinguish actual from
supposed death; and that where in Ger.
tain cases there fingers doubt as to the
final release from life, the apparently
dead should have the benefit of the
doubt.
The following are the chief signs Of
actual death:
The arrest of the pulse and the stop
page of breathing. No movement of the
chest-no moist breath to dim looking
glass placed before the mouth. These
stoppages of pulse and breath may, how
ever, under certain conditions be reduced
to so low an ebb that it is by no means
easy to decide whether or not they are
completely annihilated. Gases too have
been known in which the patient had the
power of voluntarily suspending these
functions for considerable time. The
loss of irritability in the muscles "a fact
which may be readily ascertained by {
galvanic current) is sign of still greater
Importance than even the apparent stop
page of the heart or the breath.
The contractile power of the skin i.
also lost after death. When cut i,
made through the skin of dead body
the edges of the wound close; while sim
liar cut made during life presents ar
open or gaping appearance.
An important change termed the rigol
mortis takes place after death, at vary
ing periods. The pliability of the body
ceases and a general stiffness ensues
This change may appear within half al
hour, or it may be delayed for twenty O.
thirty hours, according to the nature O.
the disease. 1t must, however, be borne
in mind that rigor mortis is not a con
tinuous condition; it lasts from twenty
four to thirty-six hours, and then pas. e.
away. 1t commences in the head anc
trunk and then in the lower extremities
and disappears in the same order.
One of the most important of the va
rious changes that indicate death is the
altered color of the surface of the body
Livd spots of various sizes occur from
local congestions during life; but the ap
pearance of a green tint on the skin o
the abdomen, accompanied by separa
ton of the cuticle or skin, is a certain
sign that life is extinct. To these symp
toms may be added the half-closed eye
lids and dilated pupils; and the half
closed fingers. These facts, which W,
have cleaned from the best authorities
may perhaps be at some time or other o
practical use to our readers Ed.
l