Evening journal., 1901-05-14
SAYS DEATH IS
ALWAYS PAINLESS
Verdict Of Physician Who
Has Made Extended
Observation

More material than was the psalmist
who asked, 20 Death, where is thy
stlng?' the physician Of to-day not only
asks the same question, but answers it.
'lt has none" says Dr. c. Pruyn String
field, who has made extended observa-
tions of the phenomena OF death in its
many forms I'm his last supreme mo
ments man has no need for spiritual OF
physical comfort. The peace Of mind and
body are his without the aid of priest or
physician either" DR.. Struggled holds
that dissolution not only is painless, but
that the dying-if conscious at all-be-
come reconciled TO the approach of It.
This welcome TO the destroyer may be
extended only a minute before life goes
out, or the patient may have been await
ing his coming for weeks and months.
II have found that most persons under
30 years old make a fight for life to almost
the last moments" said DR. Struggled.
Beyond 30 and 40 years, something in
the contemplation OF death reconciles
them TO It, or else they welcome it as
a release from cares and responsibilities,
The strong young nature, making Its in
s,nctive fight against death. may be in
mental protest almost to the last moment,
whereas n man of 90 years probably would
realize his position and await the end
calmly, perhaps for hours. But in that
supreme moment of passing, each would
! find the peace of leaving life.
Right there is one of the great mys-
teries Of death. Even when the mind has
become completely reconciled to death we
! find the whole physical framework fight
ing II. There is the muscular struggle
for breath, sometimes to the last. Even
when a man has been dead for hours his
muscles will twitch and react from the ir-
ritation of electrical currents. Yet the
mind of the dying one may have well
coined death as a boon. Long sickness
and intense sufrerings may have much to
do with reconciling person to death long
before It comes. Then many persons in
normal health tire OF living. Not for any
one reason, but because they have figured
that life isn't worth the trouble. Two
remarkable cases Of the kind are under
my observation now. They are n widow
and her daughtcr-in-law. They are not
morbid They would never commit sui
eide, but they would not care II death
should come tomorrow. There is every
reason for their living, too. They are
wealthy, move in good society and are
unusually Intelligent Take those two
women, and other conditions being equal
they will die much more easily than one
who has never thought of death. No
acute disease, either. could shake them
in their desire for death The mind is
dominant over the body"
DR.. Springfield believes that a person
may die in full possession Of his faculties
up to within one minute or less Of final
dissolution.
In the case Of the man Rigby who
died in the Grand Pacific Hotel short
time ago, he was conscious to the last
moment. lie talked Of Yorkshire. of his
wife and OF half dozen other things. He
could have been asked n question con-
| cerning any period of his life and he
would have been able to answer it five
minutes before ne died. His was no un-
usual example, either Sometimes Il
looks as II there was a clearing up Of the
brain Of man until his faculties are
keenor than normal when he is on the
threshold OF life.
mo doubt there are visions and hallu.
citations just at tho point of death
Things get far away. They see trees and
streams and meadows. recall the casl
of woman who was dying. Her husband
was at the foot Of the bed, crying, wher
I spoke TO him, telling him If he wished
to have a minister present he would better
send for one.
But the woman heard me. She startet
up IN fright, eXclaiming that she was no
! going TO die-that she did not want TO die
4 But suddenly she lay back with CLOSING
l eyes, signing that she had found sucl
y peace. Only she was uneasy that Al
r phonse. al the foot OF the bed. was getting
r so far away She saw beautiful meadow
{ and flowers and birds, but she was un
a easy that Alphonse would not come. 81
G far-away,' she complained with her las
e breath, and was dead at the Instant
e Chicago Tribune.