The Dickinson press., 1883-08-25

PHENOMENA OF DEATH.
Dissolution as Painless and Uncon-
scious as Birth.
s'The ideal death, said physician in
charge of the New York city hospitals to
. reporter of the Sun. ''was that OF my
uncle. He was hale, hearty man of
30. bachelor, wealthy and surrounded
with every comfort in beautiful home
not far from New York. He had trav-
eled in Europe and was full of anecdote
and memory Of his long life. He arose
one morning apparently in perfect
health. His buoyancy of spirits was no.
ticed. He expected visit from me,
and as he desired to confer with me on
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 bring me to
the house. He had the servant bring
the ponies to the door and refused
to let the man 60 with him, spying
he preferred to drive himself. He
mounted the box and drove off at
smart pace. The old gentleman had not
driven more than few rods from his
own house when he was met by q neigh
Dor who noticed something strange in
his appearance. His horses stopped.
The neighbor dismounted and went to
the side of his carriage and spoke to
him. The old gentleman did not ans
Wer. 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 apparent cause
for his death, which was probably occa-
stoned by heart diseased"
DR.. L. L Seaman, physician in chief of
Charity Hospital, Blackwelrs Island,
took kgreatinterestin 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 ac-
tress' performances some what different
from the general conclusions of the dra-
matte critics. Speaking on the subject
the other day, DR.. Seaman said that
Mdlle. Bernhardt had seven different
ways of dying, and all of them were to-
tally unlike anything he had ever seen
lnamedical practice covering many thou
sands of cases in 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..
Seamen. MANY persons come in when
they are almost in the last moments of
life. Many are known to be absolutely
beyond hope of recovery. But my OBJ
servations convinces me that the dram
atists and actors have far over-estimated
the pains of death. and especially the
possibilities OF great mental effort just
previous to the moment of dissolution.
1t is in fact, about as difficult to tell
when man dies as to determine when
he goes to sleep. Death is natural,
not sudden process. [ am speaking
now of death by disease, not of violent
death. Possibly in the representation
of violent death, the actors may come
somewhere near the truth, but general
ly their pictures Of death by disease are
to one who knows the truth, simply ri
diculous. Dissolution is as painless and
unconscious as birth. The approach to
1t may be protracted and painful. There
may be long and agonizing scenes result
ing from disordered Imagination. Death
destroys one organ after another, not all
all at once. The last organs to yield are
the lungs which show their oppression
in the breathing, and produce what is
lungs cease to act, the black venous
blood is no longer changed to red arte-
rial blood, but is propelled unpurified
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 GER
ebral action produces the murmur of
names of friends, or recollections of past
life, or reference to whatever has
passed through the mind. But that
there is pdin in natural death / have
long ceased to believe"
A veteran physician, speaking on this
subject, recently said: Judging of the
previous to death, l should say it often
happens that dying person gives no IN
dication of thought upon subject that
has been the favorite topic of a lifetime.
/ have known active business men with
important affairs unattended to who
died with words upon their lips that in
dicated absorption in some incident of
the moment, generally relating to per-
sonal comfort. 1t was that sort Of
death that Washington Irving died, say
ing; We'll, 1 must arrange my pillows
for another weary night; if this could
only end Long suffering under the af-
Aictions of painful disease will serve to
divert the mind of the strongest. Even
the philosopher, Ben Franklin, was
forced to say with his last breath: "A
dying man can do nothing easy.' 1t is a
very common thing for dying persons to
express sympathy with attendants who
had been fatigued in attending 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
'protracted suffering, and where the ad-
ministration of narcotics has not pro-
duced a wandering mind, dying per-
son will manifest an interest in what
ever has been the uppermost thought of
his life. Lord Chesterfield is reported
to have illustrated his proverbial polite.
ness by requesting that friend at his
bedside should be offered chair. Very
often the last words indicate thoughtful
ness for loved ones, such as the utter
ance of Charles H., "Let not poor Nelly
starve," or of Thomas Jefferson, who
said, III resign my soul to God, and my
daughter to my country" 1t is but nat
ural that whatever CONSCIOUSNESS is felt
at the moment of death should be that
of affection. I have seen it expressed
in loving look, or pressure of the
hand, often long, after the power of
speech had gone"
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