St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-03-24

delayed.
The Importance of certain rare forms
of disease of the nervous system in
causing apparent Death is often grossly
exaggerated. In catalepsy the temper
allure usually falls little below that of
the healthy human body, but never
Stimulates the icy GOODNESS of death.
There is peculiar form of rigidity of
all the muscles, but never the hard
rigidity which comes on at q variable
period after death. and Only subsidies
when decomposition Id, begun. 1t
never could be mistaken for the latter
by any one who had ever observed post
mortem rigidity. 1t permits a limb to
remain for some time in any position
in which it may be placed, until after
some minutes the force of gravity
compels its resumption of one more
natural The pulse may be weak, and
the hearts action feeble, but both can
be easily made out by one accustomed
such cases. the mind is off it's balance.
When ca elepsy does not appear in the
course of a case of insanity, it is usu-
ally connected with hysteria Or cpl
lepsy, in both of which the mind is
more or less disordered. Some authors
claim that typical cases of catalepsy
have been observed as caused by mala-
rial poisoning, but the medical cases
reported from the malarial regions Of
this country do not contain any refer
ence to catalepsy as thus caused. Of
course, it is possible that such reports
may have been published, but ifso they
have escaped the notice of the writer
hereof With the pulse still persisting
and the temperature not greatly be-
meath the normal, no one could mistake
case of catalepsy for genuine death.
There is a condition of artificial cat
alepsy which some hysterical cases
may be made to enter under the intlu-
ence of the so-called mesmeric ma
nipulations. This does not resemble
death any more nearly than that form
which appears spontaneously.
Certain hysterical cases-fortunately
these are very rare-show a remark
able sleepiness which may be deepened
into lethargy. Some such cases have
been reported which continued without
interruption for six months. Brequet
reports eight cases (out of 48o of hys-
teria) in which the lethargy continued
from one to eight days In this condi-
ton the breathing becomes hardly per-
ceptible, the pulse small and intermit-
tent, the skin dry and cold, and all the
functions of both mind and body are
evidently reduced to the lowest degree
compatible with the persistence of life.
It is probable that apparent death is
more often thought to be attributable
to trance than to any other condition.
This is mostly manifestation of hys-
terra, and is far more infrequent than
would be thought possible if common
rumorlbe accepted as reports of facts.
In the apparent death of hysteria, and
such cases do occur, the breathing and
action of the heart may be reduced un-
til they are almost imperceptible. The
mind may be as dormant as it is in
syncope (what is usually called ''dead
faint or it may be active to some de-
gree. That is. to say, although the
sense are mostly incapable of taking
note of what is happening, that of hear
ing may be still intact Those con-
Quoting fibers of the nervous system
which convey to the brain impressions
made upon the exterior of the body
(sensory fibers) are, some of them act
ing as in health, but those which con-
vey the mandates of the will, by means
of which all voluntary movements are
made possible (motor fibers) are tenn
porarily out of gear, and do not act at
all. We maysimagine that something
of the sort is taking place in night
mare. In this the most painful inn
pressions are felt, and the sufferer is
unable to move or cry out or in any
way escape from the terrors of the i'm
aginary situation. But it is probable
that premature burial could never
take place except the examiner should
be extremely ignorant or should in
vest;gate the condition only superb
cially. There is always the persistence
of breathing and action of the heart to
be perceived by the experienced in
such matters.
The following, from Taylor's Medi-
cal Jurisprudence, condenses the mat
ter OF apparent death into very small
space:
If we allow a proper interval to
elapse after the supposed death of a
person, there can be no difficulty in
solving the question, whether the body
is really dead, even before any of those
changes which arise from putrefaction
have manifested themselves The cir.
cumstances on which we may relya
furnishing conclusive evidence of death,
are the following: 0
Il. The absence of circulation and
respiration for at least an hour, the
stethoscope being employed il neces-
sary.
20. The gradual cooling of the body
to the temperature of the air, the trunk
remaining warm while the members
are cold; and
IS. AS the body cools, a gradual
a Il.