San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-08-16
DEATH FROM FRIGHT.
Instances, Ancient and Modern, Collected from
Atheatic History.

Aths.tie History.
London Globe.
The distinction between fright and
fear ought always to be borne in mind.
Fear can be mastered by an effort;
fright has come and gone before the
brain has come to the conclusion
that an effort is possible. There is
no fear so strong in human beings
as the fear of death, and yet, there
is no passion in the mind of man.,
saws Bacon truly enough, so weak
but It mates and masters the fear OF
death. Revenge triumphs over death;
love sights it; honor aspireth to 1T;
grief fyeth to it; fear preoccupieth
it." Pity, which is the "tenderest OF
passions" led many to kill themselves
from compassion for Otho's suicide.
Even tedium vitae, mere utter wearl-
ness of doing the thing over and over
again, will lead man to defy his in
born fear of death. But what passion
can guard against fright?
A Hebrew, according to Lodovicus
Wives, once crossed narrow plank
over torrent, in the dark, and, visit
ing the place next day, saw the ex.
tremity of his last nights risk and
died of-what? Not of fear, obvious
|l7, because there was nothing to be
u Gfaid of, but possibly of fright. So,
again, persons have been known who
always tainted at the scent OF certain
flowers, notably that of the may-blos-
som, but it would be ridiculous to
accuse them of being afraid OF haw-
thorn. y
r, Surgeon Gen. Francis of the In
dian medical service tells of drum
mer who was suddenly aroused from
his sleep by something crawling over
his naked legs. He imagined it
was cobra, and his friends collected
by the outcry thought so too, and he
was treated accordingly. Incanta-
tons, su Oh as re customary with the
natives on these occasions, were re-
sorted to, and the poor fellow was
flagellated with twisted clothes on the
arms and legs in view partly to arouse
him, but principally to drive out the
evil influence (spirit) that for the time
being had taken possession of him.
With the first dawn of light the
cause of the fright was discovered in
the shape Of q unless lizard, which
was lying crushed and half killed by
the side of the poor drummer, but it
was too late. From the moment
when he believed a poisonous snake
had bitten him he passed into an in
creasing collapse until he died. The
drummer was not a strong lad, and
the shock was too much for him.
The most remarkable death from
the accident of fright was that of the
Dutch painter, Penteman, in the
seventec nth century. Hewas at work
on picture in which were represent
ed several death heads, grinning skele-
tons and other objects calculated to
inspire the beholder with q contempt
Ifor vanities and folliies of the day.
In order to do his work Dettor he Went
into an anatomical room, and used it
as studio. One sultry day, as he
was drawing these melancholy relics
of mortality by which he was sur
rounded, he fell off into quiet sleep,
from which he was suddenly aroused.
Imagine his horror at behol ling the
skulls and bones dancing around the
room like mad, and the skeletons
which hung from the ceiling dashing
themselves together. Panic stricken,
he rushed from the room. and threw
himself headlong from a window on
to the pavement below. He sufficient
ly recovered to learn that the cause
of his fear was a slight earthquake,
but his nervous system had received
SO severe shock that be died in few
days.
Frederick 1. of Prussia was killed
by an accident of fear. He was one
day sleeping in an armchair, when his
wife, Louisa of Mecklenburg, who
had for some time been hopelessly
insane, escaped from her keepers and
made her way to the kings private
apartments. Breaking through a
glass door she dabbed herself in
blood, and in raging fit of delirium
cast herself upon the king. The lat.
Ter, who was not aware of the hope.
lessness of her lunacy, was so horri'
fed at the appearance of woman
clad only in linen and covered with
blood, that he imagined, with SUI
perstition characteristic of the age
that it was the white lady
whose ghost, according to time-hon