The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-12-07
OF DEATH.

Thomas D. Spencer NJ. D., in popular Science
Monthly.
1t is our purpose to discuss, as briefly as
possible. some most important aspects OIL
dissolution. Addison says that there was
nothing in history more imposing than,
nothing 80 pleasing and affecting as, the
accounts of the behavior Of eminent per
sons in their dying hours; and Montague
remarks, while specializing on death, that,
of all the passages in the annals of man
kind, those tina attracted and delighted him
most were the words and gestures OF dying
men. "If | were u maker of books" he
continues. Il would compile a register with
comments of various deaths, for he who
would teach men to die would teach them
to live. There are three elements present
ed in this fear of death: l. Thu extinction
Of hfe's pleasures, interests and hopes to
which the mind looks forward with a
degree of apprehension proportionate to
the amount Of happiness they are capable
of atiording. With the young and vigorous
the loss of these animal enjoyments is con-
templated with extreme misery; hence the
custom among the early Greeks of bearing
the hfcless body of youth to the funeral
pyre at break of morn, lest the sun should
behold so sad a sight US the young dead.
2. The Tread of the unknown future, also
depending upon the nervous temperament.
And lastly comes q fear more powerful than
either, which is the dread Of pam, inherent
III nature. From time immenorial the ac-
;ual moment of dissolution has been sup
posed to be accomplished by a throe of an
guish. known as the death agony" This
IS believed to occur at that moment when
the spiritual and physical forces that have
been so intimately blended for many years
are torn ,asupder-the oneto mouller and
decay, the other to take upon itself that
lew life beyond the ken of man.
This last element properly belongs to the
Psychologist, and as such we propose to co :
slider it. Sir Francis Bacon, in one of his
essays, published for the first time in the
year 1871. gave to the world the following
bought: 1t is as as natural to die as to be
oorn; and to the little infant, perhaps, the
one is as painful as the. other" In pro-
tundlty of thought and depth of research
Bacon stepped IN advance of his contem-
poraries, and lived in the future. Thus
we find that, contrary to the generally re-
ceived opinion of even this latter day, ma
.ure evidently designed that the end of man
'hould be as painless IA his beginning.
At birth the babe undersoes an ordeal
hat. were he conscious, would be more
trying than a most painful death. Yet he
feels it not. Born in an unconscious state,
the brain incapable of receiving conscious
Impressions, his entrance into this hitherto
unknown world is accomplished during Il
state of oblivion, known as natures
tn;usthesia:
Paiplesely We come, whence We know not
Painlessly we so, whether we know not!
From the earliest period of human his
tory death has been considered as neces-
Sarily accompanied by pain; so general is
his belief hat the terms death agony,
last struggle 'pangs of DEATH etc,
have been in almost universal use in every
ige and under all conditions of society.
Nothing could be more erroneous; the
truth is pain and death seldom 20 together
We mean also last moments of life. OF
course, death may be preceded by weeks,
or even months, OF extreme suffering, as
occurs during certain incurable diseases.
SO exaggerated has been this notion
lat it has been considered an act of
humanity to anticipate the death struggle
w violence; for ages it was customary
among the lower classes of Europe to has
ten death by suddenly jerking the pillow
from beneath the head of the dying, thus
throwing the head backward, strainine
the pharyngeal and thoracic muscles, rem
derlng the respiration already
difficult, shortly impossible. A Veneiian
ambassador, in tie time Of Queen Mary,
asserted that 1t was a common custom among
the co4ntry people to smother the dying by
means OF a pillow placed oven the face, up
on which leaned or sat the nearest relative.
This was founded upon the pious belief
that a short road was the best one This
custom was handed down from generation
70 generation, parents performing it for
their children and vice versa. Blu perhaps
the saddest privilege ever allowed the near
friends of The dying man occurred occa-
5ionally during the reign OF Queen Eliza
beth, when. through executive clemeney. IN
executions by hanging, they were permitted
to grasp the feet of the suspended crlmi-
nal, and, by clinging to the extremlties,
procipit.te their additional weight on the
body, thereby fastening strangulation. 1t
Is needless to say that these theories are
f',lse IN both conception and practice. Death
@a physiological process, and, like ali 9TH
er animal functions, should be painless.
When The fiat of death went forth, nature
kindly provided an anmsthet,c for the body.
AS the end oflife draws near, the respira-
tion Becomes slow and shallow, interrupted
now and then by deep, signing inspiration,
as though the lungs were vainly endeavor-
ing to throw oil tae pa sy slowly creeping
over them. AS the intervals between the
insplrstions grow longer the blood becomes
saturated with %carbonic-a acid gas-the same
that is formed from burning charcoal who e
deadly tunes have so often aided the sui
eide pain esslv to destroy life.
While the power Of breathing is gradually
falling, the heart, which is in close sypt-
pathy with the lungs, begins to contract
with less force. Dropeiiing the blood only n
short distance through its areterial chan
nals, 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 c%enters, produces a gradual he.
numbing of the cerebral gtnglia, thereby
destroying both consciousness and senea-
ton. The patient gradually sinks into II
deeper stupor, the lips become purple, the
face coda livId, cold perspir,tion cdeath
damp collects on the forehead, a tilm
creeps override cornea. and, with or with.
out COMMISSIONS, the dying man sinks into
has last sleep. As the poEer Of receiving
conscious impressions is gone, the death
Struggle must be automatic. Even in
taoSe cases where the senses are retained
to the last, the mind is usually calm and
collected, and the body free from pain.
IF had streng h to held apen, 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
re corded rs saying With his las: bre tn: ~
tho usil' dying had hesn more diti4ult."
That the paiulessness of Deaths due TO
some henlImblng iutlu nee aating5on the
sti!sory nerves may be inferred from the
iactth&t nEtow;rd external surrounds as
r,r ly troGble the diving.
GA the day that Lord C%ollinewooa
bre'thed his last the Mediterranean was
titnnltoas. Those elements which had
/ en- tho scene of his past glories rose aud
teii IN swelling I'm iUlatlons ana seemed as
If rtcking HIM asleep. Capt. Thomas ven
iured to ask If he was disturbed by The
tossing OF the ship. No, Thomas, he
itnswei ed. II am nnu in n q Ito a. - Ill