Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-04
SUDDEN DEATH.
ONE OF THE SAD RESULTS OF OUR
"oo-AHEADATivEkEsS."

Americans, ~ . Class, Live Too Fast -
Live Long-The Strong Mans Great Mis-
| take-The Old Gourmand at the Cafe.
| Apople1y.
The Bible speaks Of three score years and
| ten as the age to which man may reasonably
look forward Il seems as If at least seventy
equable, contented and happy years-fun Of
such comfort and qualification as the mem
bers of each class in the community have
severaly a right 10 expect should and
might be within the reach of every man and
woman. In some countries, however, we ind
this to be much more nearly the case than
with Us. Americans, as rula, live too fast
TO live long. Every person is originally en-
dowed with about 50 large stock of vitality,
out of which to fashion his life.
1t amounts to nothing more nor less than
the simplest of problems in arithmetic to
show that if he draws upon this stock twice
as heavily as he should the duration Of his
existence will only be one-half Of what il was
originally intended to be. Indeed, the mat
ter stands much worse than this; his life is
likely to be at any moment suddenly cut OF
short long before reaching even the half. A
steam engine may use up its fuel in two
weeks or one, according to the rate at which
| it is driven; if it is sufficiently overworked
the result may be general ''snash." or such
an injury as will necessitats long and
tedious stopping for repairs" if, indeed, it
ever becomes las good as new" We hardly
seem ready to recognize the bounds estab
lshed by nature, but when we have reached
them, in our greed and ambition, we summon
our will, and, as the expression runs, 'slive
upon our nerve, "congratulating ourselves on
our praiseworrhy display of American go
aheadativeness. Unfortunately nature has
not yet become sufficiently progressive Iii her
ideas to manufacture constitutions expressly
for the American market, and in the midst Of
our triumphant tour de force, click, some
thing snaps, and We vanish from the stage or
break down for years, perhaps for life
In every community such 'breakdownsc
may be pointed out on every side, and many,
even Of our most successful men, freely
confess they have paid too high a price for
their prosperity. The prizes of existence arc
SO great with us, and seem to be so within
the grasp of all, that practically all set out
to win them Each is unfagging and merci+
less to himself in his grim resolve to obtain
that for which he is striving. He works day
and night, including holidays, and not infre-
quently Sundays; he refuses to take time to
eat his meals properly, and in such sense
less luxury as 4 vacation he never dreams Of
INDUCING; amusement he regards as frivo-
lous, and as abstracting too much valuable
time from the prosecution Of the all absorb
ing project. Every waking minute be keeps
bis brain grinding away over ways and
md oI.Il -, ~,
sensible man would devote to sleep he un-
naturally curtails for thesame purpose. The
social competition runs equally high with
that Of business. OF course, in the path
way be treads he jostles and is jostled by
competitors, and in nature so tense and set
in SO great an endeavor as is his, the constant
and wearing, though almost unperceived,
play of the enotions-as envy, jealousy,
hatred, disappointment, etc.-is very great.
Occasionally, at some ''close shave" or some
crisis Of failure or success, he experiences
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
and emotional strain, once in while, when
the racket" becomes too intense to be for
the time being endured, he varies the mo-
notony-not as no should do, with q change
of scene, a quiet, wholesome life, amusement
and rest, but by plunging into 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 q course must
naturally be greatly intensified. He could
scarcely take more suicidal step.
DIED suddenly" How few realize with
what startling frequency in this country that
report goes out. The strong man fooishly
fancies he rs practically inaccessible to all
Inent and death, and so pushes on in his ex-
aggerated expenditure Of energy until-too
late-insulted nature bestows upon him the
logical punishment he has 30 persistently
courted. 1--WE DO fade as the leaf" is the
delusion we foodly hug, while 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 baker without an iDstanJs warning OF
the twenty-five deaths reported by a New
York contemporary one day last week nine
were sudden. Some Of US may wish that
such may be cur fate-tbat we die ''in the
harness'-but TO RAINY such a thought Is ter
rorizing; they pray that to them the end
come slosly-that they may "ripen for the
grave"
What are the causes Of sudden death-as
by stroke of hghtningi They are not
many when Only the 50 cnlled natural ACCT
dents are considered Death on the instant
may result from apoplexy. or bursting Of an
aneuris,n within the chest or abdomen; it
may be caused by toe bursting Of an abscess
within the chest Great mental Shocks
fro artr - lew
sometimes kills instantly through total
paralysis Of the chief nerve ceuters. Cases
of sudden death from hemorrhages Of the
lungs are On record, but they are few in
number Diseases OF the heart render the
the most frequent causes
As we grow old we should avoid those In
fuences which are likely to induce sudden
and great rush CT blood TO the head, such a.
intense mental exciterert-as in public
speaking or in CT Of anger-vinisnt nrscu-
lar effort, gluttony and drunkenness, etc.
While one dimes at popular cafes be has but
to look about him and he Is quite sure tosee
habits INDUCED provocative OF apopexy. A
familiar sight Is the man about 90 years old
whose highest pleasure is IN ticking lxx PAL
ate. BE is overweight by fully fifty pounds;
his face il red and shining; be b full TO burst,
ing, and he looks as though every important
button On his clothing was threatened One
on warm day gives such rna1 az ''vide o
BERTH as he would cooSssove; be i alto I
gether too hos % sit near. Ea cUnnepcss
his diuner with en- systematically
cocktail Thea be deliberately '.1l,s up
largely On meat sad otker hearty" food, al
Of which are washed down with enc q. leaEt,
and generally two bottles CT lager beer. As
be eats and drinks With one band, he fans
himself vigorously With the 0ihz. al tss
time growing raider AID rcdder. and finally,
when be hosts himself cut Of BIS chair, b 4