The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-11-03
SUDDEN DEATH.
ONE OF THE SAD RESULTS OF OUR
"Go-AHEADATlVENEsS"


Americans, as o Glass, Live Too Fast to
Live Long-The Strong Mans Grca: Mis-
take-Thc Old Gourmand at tho Csse.
.Apoplexy.
The Bible speaks of three score years and
ten as the age to which man may reasonably
look forward. 1t seems as if at least seventy
equable, contented and happy years-full of
such comfort and qualification as tho men,
hers of each class in the community have
severally right to expect should and
might be within the reach of every man and
woman. In some countries, however, we find
TINS to be much more nearly the case than
with us. Americans, as a rule, live too fast
to live long. Every person is originally en-
dowed with about so large stock of vitality,
out of which to fashion his life.
1t amounts to nothing moro nor less than
tho simplest of problems in arithmetic to
show that if he draws upon this stock twice
as heavily rs he should the duration of his
existence will only DO one-half Of what it was
originally intended to be. Indeed, tho mat
ter stands much worse than this; his life is
likely to be at any moment suddenly cut Off
short long before reaching even the half \
steam engine may use up its fuel i'll two
weeks OF one, according to the ratio at which
ii is driven; if it is sufficiently overworked
the result may be n general smash" or such
an injury as will neccSsitato long and
tedious stopping for repairs" "if, indeed, it
ever becomes 'as good rs new." We hardly
seem ready to recognize the bounds estab-
lished by nature, but when we have reached
them, Ill our greed and ambition, we summon
our will, and, rs the expression runs, 1.-Two
upon our nerve, "congratulating ourselves Oh
our praiseworthy display of "American 60
aheadativeness" Unfortunately nature has
not yet become sufficiently progressive in her
ideas TO manufacture constitutions expressly
for the American market, and in the midst Of
our triumphant tour do force, click, some
thing snaps, and we vanish from the stage or
break down for years, perhaps for life
In every community such "breakdowns'
may be pointed out OH every side, and many,
even of our most Successful" men, freely
confess they have paid too high Il price for
their prosperity. The prizes of existence nre
so great with us, and seem to he SO within
the grasp of all, that practically all set out
To win them. Each is unflagging and merci-
less to himself i'll his grim resolve to obtain
that for which he is striving. He works day
aud night, including holidays, and not inlre-
quently Sundays; he refuses to take timc to
eat his meals properly, and in such n sense
less luxury us n vacation lc never dreams of
ndulGng; amusement he regards as frivo.
lous, and rs nbstracting too much valuable
time from the prosecution of the all absorb
ing project. Every waking minute he keeps
his brain grinding away over ways and
means, and not improbably tho hours which
a sensible man would devote to sleep he I'M
naturally curtails for the same purpose. Tho
social competition runs equally high with
that OF business. OF course, In tho path
way he trcads ho jostles and is jostled by
competitors, and i'll n nature SO tense and set
i'll so great an cndeavor Us is his tho constant
and wearing, though almost unperccived,
play of tho cmotions-as envy, jealousy,
hatred, disappointment, etc-is very great
Occasionally, at somo "close shave" or some
crisis of failure or success, ho experiences Il
eliminating spasm Of feeling that shakes
him to his very center. Perhaps not satisfied
with this existence of abnormal and unhy-
gienic physical habits and unnatural mental
ana emotional strain, once in n while, when
the racket" becomes too intense to he for
tho time being endured, he varies the mo-
notony-not as ho should do, with Il change
of scene, quiet, wholesome life, amusement
and rest, but by plunging into Il period of
dissipation for tho purpose of drowning his
worries and cares. But, ruinous at any time,
the effect upon his overworked nerves and
distracted constitution of such course must
naturally be greatly intensified. He could
scarcely take moro suicidal step
Died suddenly" How few realize with
what startling frequency in this country that
report goes out. The strong man foolishly
fancics he Is practically inaccessible to all
mcnt and death, and SO pushes on in his cx-
aggerated expenditure Of energy until-too
late-insulted nature bestows upon him the
logical punishment he has SO pcrsistently
courted. "We do fade us the leaf" is tho
delusion VIC fondly hug, whilo We think of
death as afar OFF. Yet every day, simply
from faults OF his own committing, many an
unfortunate Is hurried into the presence of
his Maker without an instant's warming Of
the twenty-five deaths reported by New
York contemporary ono day last week niuo
wcre sudden. Some Of us may wish that
such may be our fate-that we die sin tho
hnrness'-but to many such q thought is ter
rorizing; they pray that to them the end
come slowly-that they may "ripen for tho
grave"
What are the causes of sudden death-as
Ly stroke of lightninga They are not
many when only the SO called natural acci-
dents are considered. Death on the instant
may result from apoplexy, or bursting Of an
aneurism within tho chest or abdomen; it
may be caused by the bursting Of an abscess
within the chest. Great mental shock-as
from extreme anger or grief or even joy
sometimes kills instantly through total
paralysis of the chief nerve centers. Cases
Of sudden death from hemorrhages of tho
lungs are on record but they are few in
number. Diseases of the heart render the
subject liable to instant death, and they are
the luost frequent causes.
AS egrow old we should avoid those in
nuences which are likely to induce sudden
and great rush of blood to the head, such as
intense mental excitement-as i'll public
speaking or in fit Of anger-violent muscu-
lar effort, guttony and drunkenness, etc.
While one dimes at popular cafes he has but
habits INDUCED provocative of apoplexy. A
familiar sight is the man about 20 years old
whose highest pleasure is in tickling his pal
ate. He is overweight by fully fifty pounds;
his face is red and shining; he is full to burst
ANN1'
button on his clothing was threatened. One
on a warm day gives such a man as wide {.
berth' as be would cookstoye; he is alto
gether too hot to sit near He commences
his dinner with al appetizer-cencrally
cocktail Then he deliberately "fllls up"
largely on meat and other hearty" foods all
Of which are washed down with one at least,
and generally two bottles Of lager beer. AS
he eats and drinks with one hand, he fans
himself vigorously with tho other, all tho
time growing redder and redder, and finally,
wien he hoists himself out Of his chair, his
face takes a pulpish hue in consequence Of
even that Slight effort. He is like u violin
when in tone every part Of his system is
Keyed up, and something is sure to break if
tile unusual happens Let such II Elan, soon
after dining, become violently cn,nged Or
shocked by some unexpected calamity, and
The chances are an attack Of apoplcxy is tA.
consequence.-B.ston Herald
Curious Freak of Mature.