Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-05-25
Quite Frequently the Mind Outlives
the Body, and Life Goes Out i'll a
joyful Dream.-A Happy Way to
Regard the Inevitable.


IS Il scientific name for Il pleasure
which, however seductive in reality,
would hardly, it is to be believed, have
commended itself to the philosophers
Of the epicurean school. DR.. Atkinson
and those who believe with him hold
that dying is by no means the disagree
able experience it has been pictured.
AS the end of life approaches, such
Is the doctors theory, nature often
brings her peculiar anaesthetic and the
person passes off without suffering
half the agony which the sickness caus-
ing the death brought to the patient
Even men meeting a violent death in
the Jaws of wild beasts have a few Sc
conds of calm preparation before dying,
which brings relief and a certain de-
gree 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 torment and agony of Il dozen
deaths.
The pleasures of dying can only be
Hkened to those of the dreamy NOR
phine eater, who gradually passes Oft
into a semiconsciOus state where every
thing seems like floating visions of
bliss. The body and nerves are numb
and the excited, overweight brain be-
comes quiet and mexcited.
The imagination plays fancifully with
bliSsful pictures, and the whole cOndi-
ton of the nervous system is of a
pleasurable eXaltation. The drowning
nvnnr.annnS tho rntinf 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
after a certain amount of suffering,
which every one feels at first in ex-
IRENE 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 the
patients resent any attempt to rouse
them from their dreamy state. Nature
supplies her own anaesthetic before the
important moment has arrived.
Before the death rattle is heard the
ConvulSed frame relaXeS, the signs of
pain and suffering on the frame dis
appear and often n 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 al of pleasure and JOY.
Those who have watched at hundreds
Of death beds have noticed that death
WIS easy. and officers in battle have
testified that the last moments of dy-
ing 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 numb
ing calmness was experienced after the
first sharp, painful snap of the teeth
upon them. In fact, the approach of
every creatures fate brings with it Il
kindly preparation when life is bliss
full and full of pleasure. The last SEN
satiOn in the world is then one of joy
and not excruciating pain.
The real knowledge of euthanasia
certainly diminShes, il it does not en-
tirely relieve, the dread Of many of the
last struggle, which has been made so
horrible by vivid descriptions of its
agony. The pleasures of dying may re-
move great burden from the minds of
hundreds who are inevitably approach
ing death. The old-fashioned notion
that death would be terrible had a
haleful influence upon those who were
fightin., insidious Diseases and many
aggravated their complaints by fever
ishly dreading the pain of the last
struggle. In this way a 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
comhats against the desire to yield to
the influence of the drug Sleep gener-
ally steals over the person, and only
the dreamy pleasures caused by the
poison and of dying are again eXper-
fenced in this world. The greatest pain
felt is that of the stomach pump which
may be piled in time to recall the
suicide to life. and in every case they
rebel against this most emphatically
That the suffering not so terrible
may be surmised 1r0m the fact that
PERSONS WHO nave U X dItSIilpted SUI
eide frequently nj; e the second OF
third attempt.
1t is a 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 tooth
ache.
Death often, indeed, comes as silent
" and painlessly as sleep. Those a
the bedside cannot see exactly whe1
the vital spark of life gives out witt
any more certainty than you can tel
when drowsy person passes from
semi-consciousness to actual sleep.
we were not all familiar with the phe
nomenon of sleep we should stant
affrighted on the brink before yieldin.
our brain and body to the absolute un
consciousness of healthy sleep.
Dr. Atkinson stands very high in hi
profession and has held the office O
permanent secretary of the American
Medical association ever since tina
Office was created in 1864. He ha
written several standard medical works
in addition to furnishing medical jou1
nails with reports Of clinics and paper
connected with the general practice.