Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-09-09
Painlessness of Death.


ment of dissolution has been supposed te
be accompanied by throe of anguish
known as the ''death agony" This is be
| lieyed to occur at that moment when the
spiritual and physical forces that have
been so intimately blended for many years
are torn assunder-the one to moulder and
decay, the other to take upon itself the
new life beyond the ken of man.
! This last element properly belongs to
the Psychologist. and as such we propose
| to consider it. Sir Francis Bacon, in one
of his essays, published for the first time
in the year 1877, gave to the world the fol-
lowing profound thought: sit is as natu-
I raj to die as to be born; and to the little
infant, perhaps, the one is as painful as
the other" Thus we find that, contrary
to the generally-received opinion of even
this latter day, nature evidently designed
that the end of man should be as painless
as the beginning.
At birth the babe undergoes an ordeal
that, were he conscious, would be more
trying than most painful death. Yet he
feels it not. Born in an unconscious
state, the brain incapable of receiving con-
scious impressions, his entrance into this
hitherto unknown world is accomplished
during state of oblivion, known as ma
lures anesthess:
Pain and death seldom go together-we
mean the last moments of life. Of course,
death may be preceded by weeks, or even
months, of extreme suffering as occurs
during certain lncurable diseases.
When the fat of death went forth nature
kindly provided an anasthetic for the body
AS the end of life draws near the respira-
tion becomes slow and shallow, interrupt
ed now and then by deep, signing iEspi-
ration, as though the lungs were vainlv
endeavoring to throw off the palsy slowly
creeping over them. AS the intervals be
tween the inspiration grow longer the
blood becomes saturated with carbonic
acid gas-the same that is formed from
burning charcoal, whose deadly fumes have
SO often aided the suicide palnlessly to de-
stroy life.
While the power of breathing is gradual
ly failing, the heart. which is in close SYM
pathy with the lungs, begins to contract
with less force, propelling the blood only
short distance through its arteral chan
nels, thus causing the extremities to grow
cold.
The blood sent to the brain is not only
diminished in quantity but it is laden with
carbonic acid gas, which, acting on the
nerve centres, produces gradual benumb-
ing of the cerebral ganglia, thereby de-
stroylng both consciousness and sensation.
The patient gradually sinks into deep
stupor, the lips become purple, the face
cold and livid, fold perspiration [death
damp] collects on the forehead, a film
creeps over the cornea, and, with or with
out commissions, the dying man sinks into
his last sleep. AS the power of receiving
conscious impressions is gone, the death
struggles must be automatic. Even in
those cases where the senses are retained
to the last the mind is usually calm and
collected and the body free from pain.
81 had strength to hold pen I would
write how easy and delightful it is to die!'
were the last words of the celebrated sur
geon. William Hunter; and Louis XIV.
is recorded ss saying with his last breath,
II thought dying had been more difficult. -
That the painlessness of death is due to
some benumbing influence acting on the
sensory nerves may be inferred from the
fact that untoward external surroundings
rarely trouble the dying.
The last topic for consideration is the
pseudopia of death, or visions of the dy-
ing. This subject. coming under the
realm of mental science, properly belongs
to metaphysics rather than physiology
Various theories have been advanced to
explain these phenomena, but they must
remain as hypothesis at best. for they are
not susceptible of demonstration. 1t is
not an uncommon occurrence for the dy-
ing, after living some hours in semi-con-
scious condition, to start up suddenly, and,
With glowing face. point eagerly to some
object invisible to tho bystanders, and,
with animated voice and gesture, state
that they behold the glories OF heaven or
the familiar countenance of some friend
long since dead.
The question naturally arises as to
whether these conditions are merely fanta-
sizes of disordered and fast disorganizing
brain, or are the dying actually permitted
a momentary view of those mysteries hith-
erto unknown?
The traditions and superstitions Of the