The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1900-11-08
SURE SIGN OF DEATH.
ONE SIMPLE TEST THAT, 1T is Al
LEGGED, NEVER FAILS.

\ Physician Who Says He Has Tried
IL In More Than n Thousand Case.
Explains His Method of Preventin~
Premature burial.
The question of an absolutely sure
sign Of death has troubled mankind
from ancient times. 1t has been most
variously answered, but never to en-.
tire satisfaction. The difficulties we
meet with are: First that not all or.
gans Of the body die In one moment
and second. that the action of some OF
the vital organs may be so diminished
that by ordinary means 1t appears al
most impossible to decide whether the
Life In them Is In fact extinct or not.
The actual causes OF physiological
death are three: First, cessation of
brain function; second, cessation of
respiration or failure OF the lungs;
third, failure of the heart.
The first. involving immediate death
Of the central or animal nervous sys-
tenn only, is not at once followed by
the inactivity of the peripheral nervous
system and Its special so called yegeta-
tive centers, as long ago was demon.
strated by -Sequard, Schlff aud
others. So the lungs may continue to
contract and expand, the heart may
continue TO beat. even II with greatly
diminished power. We know further
that the life of the skin is not extinct
Hair and nails continue TO grow, the
stomach continues TO digest, the liver
to secrete bile, etc. Respecting the sec
ond cause of death, we well know that
respiration may cease for quite awhile
II the brain is not affected and the cir
culation not interrupted. And OF the
third cause. by heart failure. the same
may be said. So we see that we may
speak OF true. absolute physiological
death only after the cessation OF func-
ton of the three organs together or at
least of two of them. the lungs and the
heart. without the life action OF which
the brain certainly cannot operate
Now. as regards respiration. we have
very simple means TO demonstrate lts
cessation. So remains In fact. as the
only one to show Its true death the
heart. This to prove indeed with abso-
lutte certainty Is quite a difficult prob
lem. Upon the absence therefore OF
any and all traces OF circulation In the
body have been concentrated most ex-
periments. And as regards the same
we have to take into consideration that
by disease the heart beats might be di-
minlshed TO but 10 few faint pulsations
per minute. might become so lmpercep-
tible, that without the aid of special In
struments and long continued observa-
tons nothing OF their existence may be
detected.
In the following shall give the sim
pie means by which any person easily
enough may convince himself OF the alb
sence or presence even OF the slightest
traces OF circulation:
II we ligate tight a member OF the
body-best. for example. a finger be
tween the first and second Jolnt-ln the
living we will soon notice, beginning al
most at once, n reddish coloratlon of the
portion above the llgature. II becomes
darker and darker red and finally as
sumes a dark blush red color The
entire upper portion will be thus af-
fected. and only directly around the llg-
AZURE there VIII be n small. colorless.
white ring. Now, as sure as this dis
coloration VIII be observed In the living
being as sure will all traces OF II be
absent In the dead The blush dlseolor-
alton occasionally observed of and
around the finger nails In some corpses
Is OF no influence upon, nor does 1t In
terfere In the slightest with. the phe-
nomenon and its correct Interpretation.
The phenomenon of course IL easily
enough explained In the living by the
stagnatlon OF the blood In the veins
and the capIllaries when a new supply
through the arteries and the backfiow
through the veins Is cut OF by the liga.
ture. The white ring around the latter
Is produced by the partial arterial, par.
tial venous anmmia.
In place of finger, II. as It at times
may happen. the skin seems too thick
and horny to show the phenomenon
plainly, though this will but seldom oc-
cur, one may use the toes. the earlaps,
even the tip of the nose. II desired. The
member must be only thin enough In
order to make the llgature as tight and
perfect as possible.
have used this means In about 1880
to I,O40 cases previous to post norton
examinations.
In one case only | observed the men
toned dlscoloration, though II was
impossible to notice any heart action
by any means. | at once resorted to
venesectlon. and sure enough, the
blood flowed. and after a short time
faint heart beats up to seven per
minute could be distinguished Every.
thing was done to start respiration.
Yet II was too late. and the heart beats
within half an hour gradually dimin-
ished The corpse had been lying
for dead for over two hours.-Dr Theo-