The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-14

fFrom the New YORK SUM-
aThc ideal DEATH" said physician In
charge Of one OF the city hospitals, "was
that Of my uncle. He was hale, hearty
man Of eighty. q bachelor, wealthy, ana
surrounded with every comfort In beau
tiful home not far from New YORK. lie
had travelled 10 Europe, and was full OF
anecdote and memory OF his. long LIE.
He arose one morning apparently In per-
feet health. His buoyancy OF spirits
was noticed. He was singing some
Of the quaint old Scotch songs OF his boy
hood. He expected visit from me, ana, US
he desired 10 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 Tar away, and
brIuv me to the house. He had the servant
bring his ponies 10 the door, and refused
10 l.t the man 90 with him, saying he pre-
ferred to drive himself. He mounted the
box and drove of at smart pace. The
old gentleman bad 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 neighbor dismounted and
went to the side OF his carriage and spoke
TO him. The old gentleman did not an
swer. lie sat bolt upright In his seat, hold
ing 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 occasioned
by lieart-disease." :,
DR.. L. i. Seaman, physician In CHIEF OF
Charity Hospital. Blackwclps Island, took
great interest In observing the much
Wanted death-scenes OF Sara Bernhardt,
and when once started on the subject he is
ant TO give judgment OF the great actress
performances somewhat different from the
general conclusions OF the dramatic critics.
Speaking on this subject the other day, DIR.
Seaman said that Mile. Bernhard had seven
different ways Of dying, and all OF them
were totally unlike anything he had ever
seen in a medical practice covering many
thousands of cases OF all kinds OF death.
"Of course I do not hold myself re-
sponsible for the deaths in my hospital any
more than for the births, !" said DIR. Seaman.
"Many patients come In when they are
almost In the last moments OF life. Many
are known to be absolutely beyond hope OF
recovery. But my observation convinces
me that the dramatists and actors have far
oyer-estimated the pains Of death, and es-
pecially the possibilities OF great mental
effors Just previous to the moment OF dis
solution.
cit 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 process. i 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 generally their pictures Of
death by disease are, TO one who knows
the truth, simply ridiculous. Dissolution
Is rs painless and unconscious as birth.
The approach to IL may be protracted
and painful. There may be long
and agonizing scenes resulting from dis
ordered 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-.attle.
As soon rs the lungs cease to act the black
venous blood is no longer changed to red
arterial blood, but Is propelled uppurified
from the heart, and thus poIsons the body
like a narcotic. The energies OF the brain
are gradually lulled as in the approach OF
sleep, and unconscious cerebral action pro-
duces the murmur OF the names OF friends,
or recolIections Of past life, or reference to
whatever has passed through the mind.
But that there Is pain In natural death i
have long since ceased to believe"
A veteran physician, speaking on this
subject recently, said: "Judging Of the
thoughts OF men by their words just pre-
vious to death. should say that 1t often
happens that dying person gives no indi-
cation Of thought upon subject that has
been the favorite topic OF lifetime.
have known active businessmen, with i'm
portant affairs unattended to. who died
with words upon their lips that indicated
absorption i'm some incident Of the
moment, generally relating to per-
sonal comfort. II was that sort Of
death that Washington Irving
died, saying, We'll, must ar
range my pillows for another weary night;
IL this could only end.' Long suffering
under the Affections OF painful disease
will serve to divert the mind OF the strong
est. 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 person to
express sympathy with attendants who
have been fatigued in attending them.
Among the last words Of Sir Walter Scott
were, sPoor 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 produced
q 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 proverbial politeness by requesting that
a friend at his bedside should be given a
chair. Very often the last words indicate
thoughtiulness for loved ones-such as the
utterance Of Charles H.. Let not poor
Nellie staryc'; or Of Thomas Jefferson,
who said, Il resign my soul to God, and
my daughter to my country 1t is but
natural that whatever consciousness Is left
at the moment Of death should be that Of If
lection. have seen II expressed in low
ing look, or a pressure OF the hand, often
long after the power Of speech had gone"
AIv;oao from, Vapazuola ctafa that IL