The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-25
HOW PEOPLE MEET DEATH.


Despite the wise teachings and noble
example OF Socrates. and despite the
positive assertions OF the best medical
authorities. most people look with fear
and trembling toward the momcn /
which separates time and eternity for
mankind-the moment OF death. Physi-
clans have long since established the
fact that death Itself is relief, a
beautiful and by no means painful
transition. but they have also laid
stress upon the fact that this dissolu-
ton must not be confounded with the
| symptoms OF disease which precede
death.
The question as 10 what transpires in
mankind during the approach Of death
has been the subject OF many studies
and researches, says li7e Chicago Rec
ord, and quite recently number of
French scientists among them v. Egg
ger, DR.. Sollier and De Varigny have
collected material that could be reach
ed upon this point. and published IT in
a pamphlet Just issued IN Paris. Natur-
ally, the material is but scant, but it
nevertheless furnishes an interesting
contribution 10 the great issue---the mo-
ment OF death.
The French publication gives a num-
Der OF statements by inte.lgen; and
observing persons who were rescued
from death at the last moment. These
statements are confined 10 accidents
and do not refer to exhaustion result
ing from old age. but even i'm the case
or the later the experts claim TO be JUS
tined in the assertion that where the
power OF life gradually fades away
death Is no more painful than in the
case OF people who in the fullness OF
vitality confront the great destroyer.
number of instances cited in the
publication are connected with the ex-
periences OF lion hunters in Algiers.
who have been actually within the
grasp OF the claws and the terrible
teeth OF the king Of animals
Similar experiences are related by |
persons who We're in imminent danger |
OF drowning. one OF them. n physician |
himself, tells how his boat caps zed i'm |
rushing stream and how he. after ne
roic but fruitless efforts to save him |
self. redoubled by the knowledge that |
he was rapidly carried toward roar
ing cataract, drifted unresistingly i'm a
sort or peaceful, semi-consclousness |
until rescue came. In all these in
stances. where accident brought peo-
pie of well balanced mind suddenly
face to face with death. there is the
one consensus OF thought that before
the minds eye OF such people all the
important events of their life. almost
their entire life. so TO say, passes IN a
moment. This is i'm accordance with
life in dream where n single instant
sufiices 10 comprise an almost endless
chain of events.
Prof Heine of the Zurich Univer-
sity. an indefatigable mountain climb
or, had tn experience OF fall into a
steep abyss. He was rescued by what
seemed TO be a miracle. and he imme- |
diately set to work to gather the ex-
periences of others who had been in the |
same position. They all agreed
What | felt in the few seconds of
my fall" says Prof Heine. "would take |
hours TO relate. All thoughts and mind
pictures wefe of a marvellous distinct
ness and clearness. A long train ot
means to break the tremendous rush OF
the fall occurred To me first, and next
there passed before my mind all the
events of my life, realistic as in a
kaleidoscope"
Whymper an English Alpine tourist
Of renown, fell from height of over
two hundred feet. "T was perfectly |
OF what happened TO me-"
he states, land / counted every jolt
got from protruding cliffs. but. like a |
patient, I felt no pain
Each repeated jolt, of course. was
greater than the preceding one. and I
quite we'll how / calculated
that II the next jolt should be still
more severe the e0u Woulu COME oNi ]
the most wonderful experience was
hat in this tremendous rush through
space phe air pressure. which must
have been terrible, was not at all dis
lgreeable.
Admiral Beaufort. of the British
navy. relates what he felt when he
nee fell overheard. From the mo-
nent nv efforts to save myself
eased" he said. "the awful thought OF
cath passed away like magic and
ave place TO perfect rest. This was
pathy, pure and simple, and not res
gnation, for it never occurred To me
hat drownin ng was misfortune. | did
ot think OF rescue and yet / did not {
uffer. ON the contrary, my sensations
ere rather pleasant"
Darwin. who as n competent observer
as few peers if any. relates that he Z
nee fell from garden wall only sew :
n or eight feet high. and he says that
reproduction of the thoughts which :
asFed his mind i'm the brief moment :
T the fail would fiji a volume. q
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