The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-10-22
The; Article of Death, =,
LynehbsrS virsinian.

g. LynchbsrE virsinian.
Death--the end OF life--isa subject
chat has engaged the deepest. refee-
tion ofthinking men among All people
and in all ages Of the world. Perscn-
al association and tha inevitable 70.
feciion that oil must die render IL .
subject of paramount concern 10 all
alike, great and small, and the ,stsdy
of Its premonitory signs is instinetiye
with the. ignorant A. well N with the
learned and intelligent. Many of
the Biblical writer's we're well yersed
in the phases. Of physical, decay aud
described them with surprising So
curaey and suggestivenessa vide Solo
mons beautiful Allegerical repressa,
talion in Ecclesiastss XII. Shake.
speare, who observed eserythiny else,
observed the signs of approaching
dissolution very closely snd recorded
them with that graphic perspicuity
FIR which his writings srefsmouG In
the account o! the death Of Falstaff
the sharpness OF the nose. the, cold-
ness of the feet gradually extending
upward, the picking at the bed clothes
are noticed with striking discernmsnt.
The death of age, which few attain,
is preceded BY a gradual dullinga Of
all the bodily senses and of many Of
the mental faculties; judgmentwavsrs.
memory fails, imagination goes out
like q candle. The muscles and
tendcns get stiff, the voice breaks, the
cords of the tabernacle. arc loosening.
Small noises irritste. sight becom .
dim, nutrition goes on .fsebly, diges.
tion is impaired, the seeretions are
insufficient or vitistsd, or cease. cap.
Hilary circulation is clogged. Finally
the central organ. Of the circulation
comes to q stop, and this steppsge
means a dissolution.
From observing the symptoms and
phases Of death most people have an
idea that it is necessarily painful,
even agonizing. A writer In q recent
number of the New York Medical
Journal combst this impression tax.
ing the ground that there is no rsss
son whatever to believe that death 10
a more painful process than birth.
Explaining he says:
1T 10 because, in . certain proper.
tioa of cases, dissolution is accom-
pan ed by q visible spasm and dIstor.
tion Of the countenance that the idea
exists. but it Is as nearly certain, -
anything can be that these distor-
tions OF the facial muscles are not
only painless, but take place, !nncon
sciously. In many instances, too,
q comstose or semi,comatose. state
superEenes, and ID is altogether pro-
bsble that more or less unconscious
ness then prevails. We haye, too.
abundant evidence Of people who
have been nearly drowned and resus.
citated, and they all agree in the
statement that after . few moments
Of painful struggling, tear and anxiety
pass away, and state Of tranquility
succeeds They see visions of green
fields and In some cases pleasing mu-
sic, and so far from being miserable,
their sensations are delightfnls But
where attempts at resuscitstion are
successful, the resuscitated persons
almost invarlblY protest against be-
ing brought back 10 life, and declare
that resuscitation 10 accompanied BY
physical pain and acute mental mis-.
cry.
Death is o fact which eysrr man
must personally experience, and con.
sequently is Of universal. interest,
and as facts are facts. the wiser course
is to look them squsrsly in ths faess
for necessity is coal black and death
keeps no calendar"