The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-21
Men Who Believe the Last Sem
sations in This World Are
Always Happy.
The Sweetness Of Coming Sleep
Robs Death Of All It's
Terrors.
onite frequently the Mind Outlives the
Body, and Life Goes Out in n
Joyful Dream.

of the American Medical association, is II
firm believer in euthanasia, says the Chi
caco Evening Post. This is q scientific
name for a pleasure which. however ,seduc-
tive in reality, would hardly, it is to be be-
lieyed, have commended itself to tho phi
%losophers of the epicurean school. DR.. At
kinson n those who believe with him hold
that diving is by nc means the disaGreeabie
experience it has been pictured.
As the end of life approaches, such Is the
DOCTORS theory. nature often brings her pc
culiar anesthetic and the person passes off
without suffering half the agony which the
sickness causing tho death brought to the
patient. Even men meeting a violent death
in the jaws of wild beasts have a few sec
onds Of calm preparation before dying,
which brings relief and u certain degree OF
pleasure. The great trouble i'll death is tho
sickness and pain which carries one to the
door Of death. and it is at such moments
that one suffers all the torment and agony
of a dozen deaths. =@@
The pleasures Of dying can only be
likened to those of the dreamy morphine
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,
oyerwrought brain becomes quiet and I'M
excited.
4, The imagination plays fancifully with
blissful pictures. and the whole condition
of the nervous system is OF a 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 snowstorms
have reported their sensations accurately,
and they all agree that after q certain
amount of suffering, which every one feels
at first in extreme cold, they entor into q
blissful state from which they do not wish
to be reused.
Morphine, cocaine, ether and laudanum
bring to the patient this Same mental and
nervous condition, and the patients resent
any attempt to rouse them from thelr
dreamy state. Nature supplies her own
anmsthetio before the important moment
has arrived.
Before the death rattle is heard the con-
yulsed frame relaxes, the signs of pain and
suffering on the frame disappear and often
a smile partly opens the lips. The whole
body shows signs of q painless moment.
and if the mind wanders and the tongue
utters words they are all of pleasure and
JOY.
Those who have watched ut hundreds OF
death beds nave noticed that death was
easy, and officers IN battle have testified
that the last moments of dying soldiers
were painless. People who have been il
the Jaws of wild beasts in India and hav
that a numbinR almness was experienced
after the first sharp. painful snap of tn
teeth upon them. In fact, the approach 0
every creatures fate brings with it q kindl.
preparation when life is blissful and full o
pleasure. Tho last sensation in the worlt
is then one of Joy and not excruciatinI
pain.
The r~ealknowledge of euthanasla certalnl.
diminishes, if it does not entirely %relisye
the dread of many Of the last struggle
which has been made SO horrible BY vivls
descriptions of its agony. The pleasure
of dying may remove q great burden from
the minds of hundreds who are inevitabl,
approaching death. The old-fashloned no
ton that death would be terrible had a bale
full influence upon those who were flghtin,
insldious diseases, and many aggravated
their complaints by feverishly dreading til
pain of the last struggle. In this way
great deal of harm was done and many sui
ferers FASTENED their own end.
Even in the case of poisoning, the raii
suffered is only when the sy stem combat
against the desire to yield to the infuenc
of the drug. Sleep generally steals over tn
person., and only the dreamy pleasure
caused by the poison and of dying ar
again experienced in this world. lh
greatest pain felt is that of the stonnc
pump, which may be piled in time to reca
the suicide to life, and in every case the
rebel against this most emphatically. The
the suffering is not SO terrible may bs sur
missed from the fact that persons who hay
once attempted suicide frequently make tn
second or third attempt.
1t is a fact that the pain of death is fri
quently far less than the pain that accom-
panies many dis eases that ARE not fata
The pain of rheumatism. for instance,
probably more severe than the usual PAL
of diving. So is the pain OF neuralgia
the pain CT toothache.
Death often, indeed. comes as silsntl
and painlessly as sleep. Those at the bet
side cannot see exactly when the vital spa
of life gives out with any more certain
than you can tell when a drowsy pc ~
passes from semi consciousness to uctu
sleep. If we were not all familiar with Il
phenomenon of sleep VIC should stat
affriRhted on the brink before yielding o
brain and body 20 the absolute unconsciou
ness of healthy sleep.
DR.. Atkinson stands very high in his PR
fession and has held the office of perm
nent secretary of the American Medic
association ever SINGS that otfica was Great
in 1864. He has written several standa
medical works, in addition to furnishil
medical journals with reports of clini
and papers connected with the gene1
practice.
Nh y~.Il .....uH y-tI