The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-12-07

sinks INTO deep stupOr, the lips become
purple, the face cold and livid, cold per-
spiration death damp collects on the
forehead, film creeps over the cornea,
and, with or without commissions, the
dying man sinks into his last sleep. As
the power OF receiving conscious impress
sions is gone, the death struggle must
be automatic. Even in those cases
where the senses are retained to the last,
the mind is usually calm and collected,
aud the body free from pain.
IF I had strength to hold n pen, /
would write how easy and delightful it
Is TO die p were the last words Of the
celebrated surgeon, William Hunter /;
and Louis XIV. is recorded as saying
with his last breath 81 thought dying
had been more difficult"
That the painlessness Of death is due
to some benumbing influence acting on
the scnsory nerves may be inferred from
the fact that untoward external sur
roundmgs rarely trouble the dying.
On the day that Lord Collingwood
brcathed his last tho Mediterranean was
tumultuous those elements which had
been the scene Of his past glories rose
and fell in swelling undulatiOns, and
seemed as ii rocking him asleep. Capt.
Thomas ventured to ask il no was dis
turDed by the tossing OF the ship. "No,
Thomas" he answered 81 am in state
that nothing can disturb me more-I am
dying; and / am sure it must be con-
soatoly to you and all who love me to
see how comfortably am coming to my
end" In the quarterly Review there
is related an instance of criminal who
escaped death from hanging by the
breaking of the rope. Henry w., OF
France, sent his physician to examine
him. who reported that after moments
suffering tho man saw an appearance
like fire, across which appeared beau
tiIul avenue Of trees. When u pardon
was mentioned the prisoner coolly re-
piled that it was not worth asking for.
Those who have been near death from
drowning and aitcrward restored to con-
scionsncss, assert that the dying suffer
but little pam. Capt. Marryntt states
that ms sensations ut one time, when
nearly drowned, were rather pleasant
than otherwise. "The first struggle
for life once over, the water closing
around me assumed the appearance Of
waving green fields. 1t is not
a feeling OF pam, but seems like sinking
down, oyerpowcred by sleep, in tho
long, soft grass of the cool meadow"
Now, this is precisely the condition
presented III death from disease. In
scnsihiity soon comes on, the mind loacs
consciousness Of external objects, and
lrltIl rapidly and placidly ensucs from
usphyAH.
tn spite OF the natural anta9onism to
| death, It moments reflection will show
that it Is rs much Il physiological pro-
! cess a. life the two terms are correa-
tive, tine degree Of vital activity depend
| Iug on the extent OF molecular death oc-
/ curing ut the same time. Strange as
! the paradox may seem, without death
We cannot live; every thought omanat-
lnF From the brnln, every blow struck
by tn" am, IS accompanied by dcsirnc-
ton ii nervous or muscular tissue. The
hiopIwma'c on living matter which en-
tens into the formation OF every animal
tissue is constantly terminating into
cells Che origin Of all lifc), and as con-
aiantly passing into decay. their places
beng taken by other protoplasts, thus
keeping mp the "actiye dance Of life"
This assassination. on interstitinl
death, occurs TO such an extent that na-
tnrc, in her wisdom, has provided excro-
mcEtory organs for the purpose Of re-
moving from the system the effete
material thus produced. Every living
structure, s''o' passing through certain
stages OF Development, maturity and,
finally, rctrogresslon, must come to nm
end. This may he but the ephemeral
existence OF some of the lower forms OF
fungi which, born in the cool of tho
morning, die Ms the sun goes down; or,
like the famous dragon-tree Of Tenorlic,
nny outlust the pyramids that keep
watch by the Nile.
The last topic for consideration IL the
pscudupiu of death, or visions of tho
dying. This subject, coming under the
realm Of mental science, properly be-
longs TO metaphysics rather than phys
iology. Various theories have been
advanced TO explain these phenomena.
but they must remain as hypothesis at
BEST tor they arc not susceptible OF
demonstration. IL Is not an uncommon
occurrence for the dying, after living
some hours in semi-conscious condi-
ton, TO start up suddenly, and, with
glowing face, point eagerly to some
object invisible to the 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.
Tho question naturally arises MS to
whether these conditions are merely tho
fantasies of disordcred and fast- disor-
ganizing brain, or are the dying actually
permitted II momentary view of those
mysteries hitherto unknown.
The traditions and superstitions of
the past have led to popular belief in
the latter theory. Shakespeare expressed
the sentiment OF his day when he placed
in the mouth of the dying Queen Kath-
arine these words:
Saw You not even now blessed troop
Invite me to banquet; those bright faces
cast hOusilu behnls upon me IKE the sun
Science, with its iconoclastic hand,
has swept away these pleasing fancies,
aud in their places has constructed n
fabric founded on analogy. In the an
psthesia induced by chloroform condi-
ton is produced closely resembling that
preceding death Caused by
the carbonic-acid 'poisOning) in which
visions are constantly presented to the
mind, the character Of which depends
upon the natural temperament Of the
Thus it often occurs that a
patient. when under the influence of
has bcatiiic visions similar to
those Of the dying. 1t is my fortune to
have at present patient who invariably
when under the influence of chloroform
asserts that she sees angels lowering
around her bed. The impression is so
strong that she becomes much annoyed
4 the reality of these visions is disputed.
rLn oapbyx nro, Il, al La, b,,sn;n.. a.