Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-08-27
Spaca.
Pain!essness OF Death,

olssoiuiion Gss peen supposed 10 DO accom-
paaied ty c ihroo of anguish, known ns the
"desth agoEy." This is believed 10 occur at
that monlous when tho spiritual and physioll
forces that have been 50 Intimately blended for
maDy years are tor1 csu1Gct-tho one to 1noul.
der aud decay, The ether 10 tske upol itself
that new If, besooI tho ken Of man.
This last element properly bolong5 to the
phytloogIst. and as such We propose to consider
It. Sir Fralois Bacon, in olo OF bis essays,
published fer the first time 10 tho year 1871,
gave to the word tho following profound
thought: 1t is cs natural to dio as to be bore:
and to tho little infsut, perhaps, tho ono is as
pGiaiui as the other" Thus Wo fed that, con-
tra'y to the ecnerslly-rcoeived opinion of sven
this lstter dsy, nature evidently designed that
the oId OF mal should bo az painless as tho be-
giDnrg.
At birth ths babo uodclgocs Gu ordca! that,
were he conscious. would hn more trying than
NEST painful death. Yet ho feels it not.
Born 10 an uGoorscous state, the brain ipcapa.
bic OF receiving CONSCIOUS Impressions, his CO.
trance into this hitherto urkaoSn world is &C.
oOmplishod dutlog state OF oblivion. known as
ost nre's az D3thesis:
Psiu and death seldom go tegethcr--We moan
tho laos moments OF hlc OF ouurse, death m:g
be rrCetd I'd By weeks. or even months, of cE-
treme suffering IS occurs during Certain iuau;-
abla diseases.
When the l,t Of death went forth nature
kindly progfdad an sr;c.hotio for tho body. As
tho end CT lie draws nosr the respiration be-.
comes GLOW aud shSIlow, Interrupted now ord
then by deep. sigbing inspiration, ss though
the luaRs were Vninly endeavcring to lhtoW oil
ihe Ea!sy slow y ctoepiug over thum. IA the
Intervals between tho Inspirations grow longer
the blood brG3mGs saturated WI h oarb0ulo acid
gss-ths Same that is formed from burning
charcoal. who's, .adlY fumes have do cilen aid.
Cd Tho suicide paneas|y to deslrog life.
Whlo tho power of traatEing is gradually
falling the heart. whica is in oloso sympathy
with Tie lnrgA. btglos to contract with less
oros, propslllng The blood only #aoIt distance
through lis artelial channels. thus causing tho
extrtmi!ies 10 grow cQld,
The blood sant to tho brain is nCs oaiy diGlia.
ishod 10 quantity but i: is Laden with cssoonic
aoid gas. whl,h, sctng on tho nerve nsnires.
produces gradual b.bumbius OF The cerebral
Sarelis, thereby destroy log both CONSCIOUSNESS
aud sensation. Tho patient gtatually sinks r-
10 deep stupor. the lips bIcome purple, tho
fsc, cold aud livid, cold perspiralion death
damp ooeoss on Tho forehead. finn crcers
over the Gornea, nnd. with or HitSou. oon9ui-
sions. tho dsiag man sinks into hi, last eleep.
As tho poTcr Of receiving conscious inpres-
sions is go1o, the dc:lh ssrugslo must be auto
mario E7en ia those cases Were tho ser5es arc
retained to the last ths L I'D il usually cam
eLd collected ard tho body free fitm pair.
III had strength to hold pen | would
write hoa cas-? AID dalishttuiiti5 is 30 dig!' were
tho lsst words Of the celebrated surgeon. Viii.
liam Hunter; cad Louis NV i, recorded ss
saying Witd his aas breath, I ihpusht 6si5g
had te:n moro difficult"
That the paioles;nesi os death il due to some
bolu nblng lchGGLco sc.lag oa TIC Eorsory
nerves may bo inferred from tho fact thss uE:o
ward txiarnel surroundings rlrety trouble ,ho
dying.
Tho last top!o for consideration is tho pseu.
dopis ct death, or visions of the dyiog. This
subj :o., conicg uoder tho realm of mental
;cierca, property belongs to ine,spbysci rather
| than physiology. Various tleorios heva been
advanced 10 explain these paenar,ona. bas they
must romsin as hypothesis at best for they a.e
| cot susceptible Ct demonstration. 1t is not sc
unc?mm % ccourIe-oo for the dying, after iiYiE
aous hours 10 a semi CONSCIOUS condition, to
| staf. up suddenly, aoG, with glowing face.
point eagerly to s1mo cot invisible to the by
s!azderg, aud, wi;h animated roioo and ges.urs,
| state tha. they bohod tho glcres of heaveu or
| the familiar ccuatepsrco Of soma ilien long
siooo dead.
The q.c,ion ra;u:a;lg aria:s as 10 whether
these co1di'iorS arc merely To, fantasies or a
disordered sDd fast Gis0.gsriZins braie, or sre
tho dying ao:uslly psrnitteda monentsry view
Of those myate:las hitherto u5kooEp?
| Tho traditions and superasitoEs CT tho pas .
hav. led to popul,r belief in tbs latter theory.
Sh;k,peare expressed the sentiment of his day
ehen hn placed in Tie m1ulh Of tho d5iog
| Queen Katharine thsso words:
Saw you not even now blessed troop
luviso me to bscqoet, whose b.i3h. fscbs
! CAST THOUSAND bosms upon uo like the sun?
S;, nco, ai.h ia iaonocias!ic hand, hns
saep. away tbeso pleasiog faacica, aad in their
p!eo:s hss constructed fabric founded co
analogy. 10 the CT I thcaia Induced t. caloro
form condition is pec6u.:d closely rcscu blioe
tha! inmedia ciy prccaui1g death lcsused By
the catboric scd poisoalcgl 10 which visions are
coustsot'y presented TO Tho mind. tae character
of which .nds upoa ,hs natural temperament
Of tie Individual. Thus il often occurs that a
patient when under the i: h1e:cs of chlcr; form,
has beaiEc visions similar 10 those Of tho dyi1c.
IL is my fortune 10 havc a. present paliert
who Invariably. whcn uudrr the ltfaouco Ct
chlorofcrm, tsserts that edo coca anglis hover
log rOurd her bed Tha impression is so strong
that she becam.s much annoyed if The reality
of these visions is disputed. The asphyxis
produced By burning charcoal ia o(tentimes sc-
oompsnied by disturbed fsucies similar to those
preceding dea.h; aad ths natural inferenc,
ia that thty ore the resultant 10 bath cases Of
ous apd the Same cause. During the las.
moments Ct lfs !hs mind gradually KISS
cogoizarco of external su;roundi. g.. ani is
1 .nif ioti
>nd tia voices of .ttendsuts fall upoo dull ears
Tue az e;its are closed. the pupils slightly con
,ructrd hnt rolled upward and inward. Ihedy.
ipg nsu ha, forgotten the present, for he ia liy.
isg in tie past. One by one the eyenta of VIII pie