Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-02-14
THE LAST GREAT CHANGE.
THE HOUR AT WHICH DEATH MOST UsJ
ALLy oCCURs-INTEREsTING FIGURES

A very general opinion is entertained,
says the New York Medical Journal, by
medical practitioners and others engaged
in caring for the sick that the greatest
number of deaths occurring in individuals
afflicted with disease takes place during
| the hours Immediately succeeding mid
night and preceding the dawn. This opin-
ion most probably originates in part from
| imperfect observation, and partly, from
misapplication of the physiological law
1 governing the lowest period of vitality in
1 the healthy individual. The rule is said
to be particularly true in those suffering
from chronic eXhausting diseases, and de-
auctions have been drawn from these i'm
pressions which have served to regulate
the administration Of stimulants in such
. cases, it being said, IF six ounces of
whiskey be needed in tlssnty-four hours,
four should be administered from to 6 A.
| NJ, for then is vitality in the human being
at its lowest, and "mOre deaths occur
then than at any other period.
Such expressions may be found scattered
through works on materia medica and the
4 rapeutlcS, and in many OF the text books
4 on the practice of medicine. The idea
l finds expression also in the lectures of
teachers in our colleges, and usually leaves
a Well-grOunded impression on the mind
of the medical student, which is apt to re-
main permanent one. | accepted this
teaching at college because l had neither
the means nor the time to verify OF dis
prove it to my own satisfaction. Yet al
ways doubted the correctness of the con-
illusions drawn, and, to settle the doubt in
my mind, since entering on my duties at
the hospital have collected the statistics
] (riy mol yxrl,i oJ T fInH do moi
with this generally accepted idea. Think
ing that they may interest others, and that
the small mistakes in a subject are some
times and to certain people as important
as the greater, present them.
The statistics are taken from the records
of the Charity Hospital on the one hand
and from the books of the New York board
of health on the other. The former are
mainly OF deaths occurring in those aff1ict-
lied with chronic eXhausting diseases; the
latter, in those dying from the acute exam
Fi!themata. The former represents all the
a. ly ten years, irrespective of sex, age, dis
Lease or condition. the latter, a. the deaths
occurring i'll the city and county of New
\ 7 ork from the acute contagious diseases.
At the hospital the records of death are
kept with great care, and l am sure can be
the health authorities records are also ac-
curate, but they are the result of individ-
nal reporters, SO that they are not so relia-
BILE as those of the hospitals. There are
Hmany circumstances that should greatly
tend to increase the death rate at night in
Ia large public hospital, principal among
which is the great vitiation of the atmos-
phere during this period. During the
night all the patients are confined to the
ward, and ventilation is apt to be neglect
ed. This must certainly have very de-
pressing effect on those suffering with pull
affhrfiOnS in, WIN
disease has effected extensive alterations
in the physical and chemical ,charac-
tiers OF the blood. This alone should great
ly tend to increase the number of deaths
at night, and if there was any truth in the
accepted notion the records Should show
quite preponderance of deaths happen
ing at night. The contrary is, however,
the rule, the figures showing q cases fewer
fron 2. M. to A. M. than for the CORES
pondiag twelve hours of the day.
Again, from to P. NJ there were &c
more deaths than from 2 to ga. M. The
total number of deaths in the list of acute
diseases for the twelve hours from P. NJ.
to A. NJ. lis 1859 less than for the CORES
bonding period during the day. The hours
from to6 A. N. in this list shows SO cases
more than for the corresponding period in
the aftelnoon this in nearly 1000 cases is
very slight. In the chronic cases the
greatest number of deaths at any one hour
was at 2. NJ, with and 5 P. NJ and 6
A. NJ. close following; the greatest in the
acute list at A. NJ, with II A. NJ and p
M. close following. The lowest number
in the acute list at u NJ, (midnight,) that
hour so dreaded in the sick room by attend
ants, and to which good deal of supersti-
ton attaches. 1t is noticeable that the
number for this hour is exceedingly low
about half of the average number. In the
chronic diseases the lowest number appears
at A. NJ. In the chronic cases the num-
Der dying from A. NJ. to IL NJ noon)
seems relatively low compared with the
same period in the acute list. l have used
all the figures available at the hospital,
and only stopped when the death books
available We're exhausted. l only sought
the health boards statistics for the purpose
of comparison and as the figures run up
quickly thought two records would serve
as we'll as longer period. In making the
collections l noticed that the figures did
not vary essentially throughout. There
was always a preponderance of deaths in
favor of the hours of the day, while the in
dividual hours would vary by comparison
at different periods.
Deaths occurring at Charity Hospital,
BlackwelIs Island, during the past ten
years, by hours: