New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-09-26
WAY People Die.


''Tae ideal DEATH said q physician
in charge of one of the New York city
hospitals to a reporter of the Sun, twas
that of my uncle. He was O hail, hearty
man of 80, a bachelor, wealthy, and
surrounded with every comfort in a
beautiful home not far from New York.
He arose one morning apparently in
perfect health. His buoyancy of spir-
its was noticed. He was singing some
of the quaint old Scotch songs of his
boyhood. He expected visit from me,
and he arose from the table after a
hearty and partial meal, saying that he
would drive down to the depot, not far
away, and bring me to the house. He
had the servant bring the ponies to the
door, and refused to let the man 60
with him, saying he preferred to drive
himself. He mounted the box and
drove off at smart pace. The old gen.
tleman had not driven more than few
rods from his own house when he was
met by a neighbor who noticed some
thing strange in his appearance. His
horses stopped. The neighbor dis
mounted, and went to the side of his
carriage and spoke to him. The old
gentleman did not answer. He sat up
right in his seat, holding the reins in
his hand. He was dead. He had passed
awsy without shock of any kind.
There was no apparent cause of his
death, which was probably occasioned
by heart disease
DR.. L. L. Seaman, physician-in-chief
of Charity hospital. Blackwell's Island,
took great interest in observing the
much Wanted death scenes of Sarah
Bernhardt, and when once started on
the subject he is apt to give a Judgment
somewhat different from the general
conclusions of the dramatic critics.
Speaking on this subject the other day,
DR.. Seaman said that Mile. Bernhardt
had seven ways OF dying, and all OF
them were totally unlike anything he
had ever seen in medical practice
covering many thousands of cases OF all
kinds of death.
"Of course do not hold myself re-
sponsible for the deaths in my hospital
any more than for the births, ''said Dr..
Seaman. My patients come in when
they are almost in the last moments OF
life. Many are known to be absolutely
beyond hopes OF recovery. But my OBJ
servatiOn convinces me that the drama
fist and actors have far over-estiinated
the pains of death, and especially the
possibilities Of great mental ei:;,rt just
previous to the moment Of dissolution
lit is, in fact, about as difficult to
tell when Il man dies rs to determine
when he goes to sleep Death is a
gradual, not Il sudden process. [ am
speaking now of death by disease, not
OF violent death. Possibly in the rep
resentation of violent death the actors
may come somewhere near the truth,
but generally their pictures of death by
disease, are, to one who knows the
truth, simply ridiculous. Dissolution is
as painless and unconscious as birth
| The approach to it may be protracted
and painful. There may be long and
agonizing scenes resulting from disor.
dered Imagination. Death destroys one
organ after another, not all at once.
The last organs to yield are the lungs
! which show their oppression in the
breathing, and produce what is termed
the death rattle. AS soon as the lung;
cease to act, the black venous blood il
no longer changed to arterial blood, bu
is propelled unpuritied from the heart
and thus poisons the body like mar
cotic. The energies of the brain are
gradually lulled as in the approach Of
sleep, and unconscious cerebral action
produces the murmur of friends, or rec
objections of past life, or reference t.
whatever has passed through the mind
But that there is pain in natural deatl
l have long ceased to believe
''The death of a healthy person il
always very different thing from tn,
death of a diseased person. In cases o
accident, where persons know the,
must die in a very short time, unless
the shock has not been too great, the,
thought; they direct their affairs will
composurc.
"Have you ever known persons to di
in comical mood?'
'"There are historical cases. Douglas
Fcrrold> is reported to have sail 'Wh
torture dying creature, doctor? an,
everybody remembers the dying joke Q
Robert Burns-'Don' let the awkwar,
J squad fire over me. -
''It must be remembered, however
that what are called the last words 6
; great men may have been uttered
considerable time before death-eithe
! hours or days. Some allowance mus
, be made for the impossibility Of procu1
!, ing testimony. When the late DR.
/ Beard died, after having become widel
known as an intelligent and educate
skeptic, his sister proclaimed that h
I IL u = i l.. L. l.,
indicated his hope in heaven by point
ing upward, and saying: Higher, higher.
But the attendant, who was beside Dr.
Beard, said the words, Higher, higher
had no reference to future statesOf ez
, istence, but were simply an indicatio
that the doctor wished to be raised o
his pillow. IN. 7. Sun.
u, The King of Bavaria has for six year
been building at the entrance to tn
.