Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-26
The PAene,.sna Of Death.


From the New York Sun.
'The ideal death" said physician In charge
Of one Of the city hospitals. twas that Of my
uncle. He was hale, hearty man Of 50, a
bachelor. wealthy. and surrounded with every
comfort in beautiful home not far from New
York. He had Travelled in Europe, ard was full
OF anecdote and memory Of his long life. He
arose one morning apparently in perfect health.
His buoyancy of spirits was noticed. He was
singing some of the quaint old Scotch songs of
his boyhood. He expected visit from me, and,
as he desired to confer with me on q matter
OF business, he arose from the table
after hasty and partial meal, saying he would
drive down to the depot, not far away, and
oflng me to the house. He had the servant
bring his ponies to the door and refused to let the
man go with him. saying he preferred to drive
himself. He mounted the box and drove of at
pa smart pace, The old gentleman had not
driven more than few rods from his own
house when he was met by neighbor who
noticed something strange in his appearance.
His horses stopped. The nelghhor dismounted
and went to the side of his carriage and spoke
to him. The old gentleman did not answer
He sat upright In his seat holding the reins In
his hand. He was dead. He had passed away
without shock of any kind. There was no APP
parent cause for his death. which was probably
OccasOned by heat disease"
DR.. l.. l.. Seaman. phys!cian-in-chief Of Char
IA.
terest in observing the much-vaunted death
scenes of Sara Bernhardt, and when once started
| on the subject he is apt TO give Judgment OF
the great actress performances somewhat diff
ferent from the general conclusions or the dra-
matte critics. Speaking on this subject the
other day. DR.. Seaman said that Mile. Bern
hardt had seven different ways of dying and all
OF them were totally unlike anything he had
ever seen in medical practice covering many
thousand of cases of all kinds of death.
al of hnl prlll Ia
TOR the deathsin my hospital any more than for
the Births" said DR.. Seaman. MANY patients
come in when they are almost in the last mo-
ments of life. Many are known to be absolutely
beyond hope of recovery. But my observation
convnces me that the dramatists and actors
| have far Overestimated the pains of death and
especially the possibilities of great mental effort
just previous to the moment of dissolution.
''lt is, In fact about as difficult to tell when
man dies as to determine when he goes to
| sleep. Death is a gradual, not a sudden pro-
cess. am speaking now Of death by disease,
not Of violent death. Possibly in the represen-
tation OF violent death the actors may come
somewhere near the truth. but generally their
pictures OF death 10y disease are, to one who
knows the truth, simply ridiculous. Dissolu-
| ton Is as painless and unconscious as birth.
The approach to 1t may be protracted and pain
full. There may be long and agoniZing scenes
resulting from disordered 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 lungs cease to act the black
! venOus blood is no longer changed to red arte-
| rial blood. but is propelled unpurihed from the
heart, and thus poisOns the body like narcotic.
The energies of the brain are gradually lulled as
| In the approach Of sleep and unconscious cere-
| bral action produces the murmur of the names
of friends, or recollectons of past lite. refer
ence to whatever has passed through the mind
But that there is pain in natural death have
| long since ceased to believe"
| veteran physician speaking on this subject
| recently, said: Judging of the thoughts of men
| by their words just previous tc death. should
| say it often happens that dying person gives
| no indication of thought upon subject that
| has been the favorite topic of a lifetime | have
| known active business men. with important af-
fairs unattended to, who died with words upon
their lips that indicated absorption i'm some incl
| dent OF the moment. generally relating to per-
| s0nal comfort 1t was that sort of death that
| Washington Irving died, saying, Well. / must
arrange my pillows for another weary night; If
| this could only end Long suffering under the
Affections of painful disease will serve to d.
vert the mind of the strongest. Even the phil
| lOsopher, Ben Franklin, was forced to say with
| his last BREATH "A dying man can do nothing
| easy. 1t Is very common thing for dying per-
sons to express sympathy with attendants who
have been fati9ued in attending on them.
Among the last words OF Sir Walter Scott were
| Poor souls, know you were up all night
"And yet, where there has not been pro-
tracted suffering, and where the administration
of narcotics has not produced wandering
mind. dying person will manifest an interest
| in whatever has been the uppermost thought of
his life. Lord Chesterfield is reported to have
illustrated his proverbal poiteness by request
Ing that a friend at his bedside should be given
chair. Very often the last words indicate
thOughtfulness for loved ones, such as the ut
terance of Charles H.. Let not poor Nelly
starve, or of Thomas Jefferson who said Il re-
sign my soul to God, and my daughter to nv
country 1t is but natural that whatever con-
seriousness is left at the moment Of death should
be that OF affection. have seen it expressed in
a loving look, or pressure of the hand often
long after the power of speech had gone.''
"How about the facial expression Of dying
persons?"
That is often spaslnodc. The laughing or
crying muscles arc often excited in the convul-
sions of death when there are no corresponding
feelings. In the same way there are often mus
cular cOnt0rtlOnS OF the mouths of infants, who
are believed to be smiling, when, in fact, they
are troubled with stomach ache"
"Have you ever observed the visions and &C.
static delights that are often spoken Of by reli-
giOus writers!"
Certainly. They are quite common. and not
at all confined to religious persons. Experienced
physicians testify that most persons die in
state of trance. Although they are apparently
conscious, they pass away in state Of dream
ing. Often they seem to be listening to musical
sounds. Sometimes they seem to be beckoned
to by angels"
"And do you regard such exhibitions as purely
physcal!"
Just as much SO as any dream They are con-
trOiled by the ordinary thoughts and feelings the
everyday life and education and imagination OF
the subject in precisely the same way as dream
is so controlled. Generally dream is repro
ductiOn Of waking thoughts. The curious
tumble Of subjects in dream is the result of
absence Of vOlitiOn. There is a suspension
of the functions Of the median tract of the
brain. The same thing occurs in the mesmeric
trance. The suspension may be temporary and
then the person may not only return conscious
ness, but remember some Of the curious things
seen in the vision. Something of the same
nature occurs In taking opium. In the earlier
stages of opium eating the subject appears to
have two mental operations going on at once.
One is fantastic and odd the other normal and
regular. In such a case one is able to keep up
running comment on the visions passing before
his eyes.
"The death of healthy person is always a
very different thing from the death OF a diseased
person. In cases of accident, where persons
know that they must die i'm very short time.
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