Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-09-13
M1istellaueun5 &eadiug.
THE WAY PEOPLE DIE.

"The ideal DEATH" said Il physician in
charge of one Of the New York city hospi-
tails, to a reporter Of the SIN, "Was that OF
my uncle He was hale, hearty man ofS0,
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 buOyan-
cy of spirits was noticed He was singing
some of the quaint old Scotch songs Ofhis boy
| hood. He expected a visit from me, and he
arose from the table after a hearty and par
tial 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 go with him, saying he preferred to
drive himself. He mounted the box and
drove off at a smart pace. The old gentle
man had not driven more than few rods
from his own house when he was met by Il
neighbor 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 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 appa-
rent cause of his death, which was probably
occasiOned by heart disease"
DR.. l.. l.. Seaman, phySician-ln-chiet OF
Charity hospital, Blackwell's Island, took
great interest in observing the much vaunt-
ed death scenes of Sarah Bernhardt, and
when once started on the subject he is apt to
give a judgment of the great actress per-
fOrmances somewhat different from the gen.
eral 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 med
ical practice covering many thousands OF
cases of all kinds of death.
"Of course do not mold myself response
BILE 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 observation convipces me that the
dramatists and actors have far over-estima-
ted the pains of death, and especially the
possibilities of great mental effort just pre-
vious to the moment of dissolution.
'It is, in fact, about as difficult to tell
when a man dies as to determine when ne
goes to sleep. Death is gradual, not sud-
by disease, not Of violent death. Possibly
in the representation of violentdeath the ac-
tors may come somewhere near the truth,
but generally their pictures of death by dis
ease, are, to one who knows the truth, SIM
ply 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 disordered Imagination. Death de-
str0ys one organ after another, not all at
once. The last organs to yield are the lungs,
which show their oppression in the BREATH
ing and produce what is termed the death
rattle. AS soon as the lungs cease to act,
the black venOus blood is no longer changed
from the heart, and thus poisOns the body
like narcotic. The energies of the brain
are gradually luled as in the approach of
sleep, and unconscious cerebral action pro-
luces the murmur of friends, or recollections
of past life, or reference to whatever has
passed through the mind But that there is
pain in natural death l have long ceased to
believe.
"rhe death of healthy person is always
very different thing from the death OF Il
diseased person. Incases of accident, where
persons know they must die in very short
time, unless the shock has notbeen too great,
they preserve their customary trains OF
thought; they direct their affairs with COM
pOsure."
"Have you ever known persons to die in
a. CUlillCftl
'.There are historical cases. Douglass Jer-
mold is reported to have said !: "Why tor
ture dying creature, doctor ?" and every
body remembers the dying joke of Robert
Burns: "DOn't let the awkward squad fire
over me-"
"It must be remembered, however, that
what are called the last words of great men
may have been uttered a considerable time
before dcath-either hours or days Some
allowance must be made for the impossibili-
ty of procuring testimony. When the late
DR.. Beard died, after having become wide.
ly known as an intelligent and educated
skeptic, his sister proclaimed that he had
recanted on his death-bed, and had indicated
his hope in heaven by pointing upward,
and saying: "IIighcr, higher" But the
attendant, who was beside DR.. Beard, said
the words, "IIigher' higher" had no refer
ence to future state of existence, but were
simply an indication that the doctor wished
to be raised on his pillow."-N y. SIN.