The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-10-04
is DEATH PAINLESS :?
rs THE ACTOF DYING ATTENDED BY
PHYSICAL SUEFERKNG?
The Sensations of the Dying as Described by
Physicians - They All Agree that
Death is Painless.

| The keen blade of the dlssectlng Knl1e
has laid bare all the secrets OF man. Or
sanic structure, and medical science has
taught remedy for every physical Ill 10
which man is heir but the Investigations
that revealed these secrets did not reach
the great climax of life, and penetrate the
veil that enshrouds it's last final act
! Medical science, which has pushed It's
discoveries into every field where human
life is concerned, has left death remain a
deep, impenetrable, inexplicable, bleak and
an awful mystery still. A balm is offered
for every ill to which flesh is heir; even the
consumptive with the hectic bloom of the
grave already on his cheeks; the stricken
with deadly epidemic and contagious
| diseases; and the old, and decrepit are bid
| den to hope Medical skill and the physl-
clans knowledge of the physical organism
| of man and how to apply the healing balm
when any irregularities of the human sys-
TEN demand it, are held out to an afflicted
world as cause for hope, but over it all the
mighty, and the black shadow of death
movers. The fountain of youth Is yet
fairy myth and until it becomes real the
| race of men must look forward to the
| grave
| 1t is the common lot of man; it is the
| heritage of life. To all men, the knowledge
| that somewhere in the future death awaits
| them, lends Il somber tlnge to their ll'es.
| 1t steals the sweetness from the lover
| kiss; the nectar from the wines; it poisons
! every JOY.
To the mental vision death partakes of
| all conceivable horrors. It's bieakness,
darkness, dreariness and loneliness cause
| us to shu.Ider when we think of it. 1t IS
| terrible to contemplate not only because
| it is the end of life, but because associated
| with it is the gloom of the tomb, and be-
| fore it the supposed great physical agony
| that attends the dissolution of soul and
body. The "aronies of death" has become
! Il common term, and that death is the acme
| of human agony is q fable that is of gen
! eral belief
| Death and its mystery is a subject of in
| terest to every one who must solve it SOON
| er or later. We know that it marks the
| end of human carrer-what else! Most of
! US believe there lies beyond it deathless
| life, but of the act of death itself-what
| do we know!
| Is it painless, or does the dying man suf
| fer all the pains which are commonly sup
| posed to belong to death? Standing by the
| bedside of the dying have seen them
Writhing and moaning in the greatest agony
seemingly. What great relief it seemed
| when the last breath ended the struggle.
by other bedsides we have seen men die
rs peacefully us they would fall asleep.
Death comes in many FORMS and in many
stages, and the answer to the question
what are the sensations of the dying is Il
pUHZle 10 tllc physician, as wen us 10 tllc
| common herd of men,
Death comes through three modes, ac-
cording to the medical authorities: Cessa-
| ton of the respiration, cessation of the cir
| culatiOn and death by action on the ner-
YouS system. According to the same au-
thOrites death begins from the first, at the
lungs: from the second at the heart, from
the last at the head. These are tie death
canters. SO much for science. But it
draws the curtain over the death scene.
selves greatly in the study of death, but
the result of it all is mere speculation.
Death still retains its horrors, its dreadful
| ness and its mystery
Talks with Atlanta's physicians on the
hF91't @!d" the sdnsaa9tif5hs Of the dtytffng?"
brings forward some interesting views.
even it does not disclose some valuable
scientific fact.
called on dozen or more physicians
this week and listened to their opinions
about dying, and ! present some of the most
interesting here. From their experience at
the bedside of the dying, the physicians
are better prepared to offer an intelligent
| OPINION upon this grave subject.
DR.. Ridley Dying.
| The views of DIR. r. B. Ridley, one of
| Aflantas best physicians, will be read with
! interest. They are the result of years of
experience and ripe knowledge of medical
| sciences
10 begin with" said DR.. Ridley, I'll
| lay Gown the proposition that death is pain
| less Is a rule. Particularly is it so in the
| lowe form Of disease--Wasting diseases
! Whee the nervous forces become exhaust
| ed. IN sudden death, where it comes by
shoe, there is DO pain. In death from
near disease, where the heart fails to
| act comply no pain accompanies it, When
mn Is in the very throes Of death, when
| lie actually dying he is unconscious of
| phyScal pam. The last breaths are pain
| less.
"Aen who are hung if their necks are
Drohn dle painless deaths. Greater pain
atte1s death by strangulation Death
iron hemorrhage Of any kind is devoid
! OF pm. IN the latter case it comes from |
eXl9sstion and want of blood
, lke cholera: Tor example. I believe |
| TIE holera victim dies painless death |
: mn stricken with cholera suffers some |
! pa!nrtore the act of death, but the act of |
dyintitSeIf is painless.
"a a. general rule, | believe death is
Or. Huzza's Views.
DrI. III. Huzza entertains decided views
upoilying from a physical standpoint. and
he las enthusiastic in talking about them
as has in talking about anything else in
his pfession.
u light illustrate my views,'' said he.
u! ! ahecdote-and Il very tragic one
y Whcl heard Of Livingstone, the great At
ihN''rA Hioit ne WAS caught great |
jungin Africa by lion, and the fero-
clouDeast sprang upon him and tore
grea oiece of flesh from his shoulder. T,iv-
ingste afterwards described the eyneri
ences one without pain. I sim, " felt
curlo said he, to see what part of me he
was ing to bite off next I think a man
regaI death with something like the same
feelil "'i10
ct act of dying. in my opinion ia in
itsclfainless. l believe that lust before
deati,omes a merciful provision makes
the ng lnsensible to pain. A calm. easy
*ta&emes on, and although the diving may
moahd wrthe, and toss about the bed |
they e not in pain. Their movements
are ply automatic Death comes like a
dropg off to sleep"
Dr,uzza told about the deathboJ scena
OF aell-known young man of this citv
who after but few hours illness, y
few IS ago.
'lhS something terrible to watch him
die, Il Or. Huzza che seemed to be in
such tie pain. For four long hours his
moa'gere audible a block away, and he
roneend tossed about continually. And
yet llieve he felt no pain in dying"
Dr.. n. o. Harriss Opinion
DR.. Q. Harris, the clear-headed phy-
sicalas had wide experience with
| lpa thor n long tirr,n bo ,,.,., a..,,..4-1 |