Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1892-04-01
THE PLEASURES OF DYING
Last Sensations in This World Are AL.
ways Happy Ones.

ways Happy Ones.
Dr. W. b. Atkinson, Secretary American Medi-
cal Association.
A human beings death was formerly
considered a great struggle, and vivid,
almost shocking, descriptions of the
phenomena OF dying were given in
such exaggerated forms that none
cared to think of the supreme moment
when death should come 10 them.
Euthanasia, or the pleasure of diving.
takes the very opposite view and pro-
claims death to be easy and almost
painless. Sss
AS the end of life approaches, nature
often brings her peculiar anpsthetics
and the person passes off without suf-
fering half the agony which the sick
ness causing the death brought to the
patient. Even men meeting a violent
death in the jaws of wild beasts have
few seconds of calm preparation before
dying, which brings relief and a GER
tain degree of pleasure. The great
trouble in death is the sickness and
pain which carries one to the door of
death, and it is at such moments that
one suffers all the torments and agony
OF dozen deaths.
The pleasures of dying can only be
| likened to those of the dreamy NOR
phine eater, who gradually passes off
into a semi-conscious state, where
everything seems like floating visions
of bliss. The body and nerves are
numb, and the excited, overwrought
brain becomes quiet and unexcited.
The imagination plays fancifully
with blissful pictures, and the whole
condition OF the nervous system is Of
pleasurable exaltation. The drowning
man experiences the same relief and
pleasure when the struggles are over
and the cold limbs grow stiff and
numb.
Persons frozen in binding snow
storms have reported their sensations
accurately, and they all agree that af-
ter Il certain amount of suffering
which everyone feels at first in extreme
cold they enter into a blissful state
from which they do not wish to be
reused.
Morphine, cocaine, ether and lauda.
mum bring to the patient this same
mental and nervous condition, and pa.
tients resent any attempt to rouse
them from their dreamy state. Ma
ture supplies her own anesthetic be-
fore the important moment has ar
rived.
Before the death rattle is heard the
convulsed frame relaxes, the signs of
pain and suffering on the frame disap-
pear, and often smile partly opens
the lips. The whole body shows signs
OF painless moment, and if the mind
wanders and the tongue utters words,
they are all of pleasure and JOY.
Those who have watched at hun
dreds OF deathbeds have noted that
death was easy, and officers in battle
have testified that the last moments Of
dying soldiers were painless. People
who have been in the jaws of wild
beasts in India, and have been rescued
at the last moment, testify that a
numbing calmness was experienced af-
ter the first sharp, painful snap of the
teeth upon them. In fact, the ap-
proach of every creatures fate brings
with it a kindly preparation when life
is blissful and full of pleasure. The
last sensation i'll this world is then one
OF joy, and not excruciating pain.
The real knowledge of euthanasia
certainly diminishes, if it does not en-
tirely relieve, the dread of many of the
last struggle, which has been made so
horrible by the vivid descriptions of its
agony. The pleasures of dying may
remove great burden from the minds
of hundreds who are inevitably ap-
preaching death. The old-fashioned
notion that death would be terrible had
baleful influence upon those who
were fighting insidious diseases, and
many aggravated their complaints by
feverishly dreading the pain of the last
struggle. In this way great deal of
harm was done and many sufferers
FASTENED their own end.
Even in the case of poisoning the
pain suffered is only when the system
combats against the desire to yield to
the influence of the drug. Sleep gen.
orally steals over the person, and only
the dreamy pleasures caused by the
poison and of the dying are again ex-
perienced in this world. The greatest
pain felt is that OF the stomach pump,
which may be applied in time to recall
the suicide to life, and in every case
they rebel against this most emphatic
ally. That the suffering is not so ter
rible may be surmised from the fact
that persons who have once attempted
suicide frequently make the second or
third attempt.
1t Is fact that the pain OF death is
frequently far less than the pain that
accompanies many diseases that are
not fatal. The pain of rheumatism.
for instance, is probably more severe
than the usual pain of dying. So is
the pain of neuralgia or the pain of the
toothache.
Death often, indeed, comes as 81
lently and painlessly as sleep. Those
at the bedside cannot see exactly when
the vital spark of life gives out with
any more certainty than you can tell
when drowsy person passes from
semi-consciousness to actual sleep. If
we were not all familiar with the phe-
nomenon OF sleep how we should fear
that sweet oblivion; how we should
stand atfrighted on the brink before
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