The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1901-05-29
A DREAD OF DEATH.
An Authority Talks Interestingly on
a Solemn Subject.
SAYS DYING Is A VERY EASY THING,
Dread of the Last Enemy Rarely Felt by
the Dying Nature j. Kind in the
Last Hours Of Life.

Il
high as an expert. In the course Of
81 years active practice he has con
Quoted over 1900 post norton exami-
nations and has seen at least half that
number of human beings die.
He has looked into the eyes of dy-
ing men, women and children of every
kind and condition, and this is the
summing up of it all:
death is as much of a mystery to me
now as it was when first saw hu-
man being die.
mature is never so kind to man as
when she is severing the ties that
bind him to this earthly life. She re
moves the fear, ameliorates every
harsh surrounding, softenS every
sound and smooths the narrow path
way to the grave with kindly hands.
The easiest thing in life is to die"
an your experience, DR.. Andrews,
I asked, "have you ever foHpd a case
in which fear of death rose To the
point where men fought and screamed
at it's approach"
Never. In severe sickness death
comes as a welcome visitor. On tine
battlefield or as the result of an accl-
dent or sudden shock, when it comes
to a man swiftly, who, but moment
before, was in perfect health and who,
half an hour later, will be lifeless,
fortitude which | cannot describe and
have been unable to analyze sustains
the victim.
DO men and women of the higher
grades of intelligence exhibit any diff
ferent emotions as death approaches
from those gifted with less mental
power? Does The professional man or
the scientist betray any different feel
ings or emotions from those exhibited
by the day laborer, the peasant or the
most ignorant of mem"
mo and yes was the reply. The
scientist, the man or woman of keen
intelligence and trained faculties, un-
less their lives have been conspicuous
for an exhibition of faith in religion
and its teachings, are slower to accept
illustrations of clergymen and 9th
ers. The man of low intelligence
yields at the first approach and calls
for religious consolation.
"The reason for this is, think, that
the vast majority of professional
men, outside of the clergy, and par
ticularly doctors and scientists gener-
ally, are not inclined to believe or &C
cept what they cannot demonstrate as
scientific fact. And yet, as rule,
these men and women willingly ac-
cept religious ministration when death
is only matter of hours.
Il recall an instance during the war.
One of the most distinguished men in
the Confederacy was brought to me
for treatment. | saw at once that
death was matter of few hours on
ly. He was one of the most brilliant
and charming men | ever met. | told
him he could not live and asked him
if he desired to talk with clergyman.
He replied in a rather careless way
that he did not feel disposed to change
his views. That death, as he believed,
ended all and there was no use drag
ging religion in at the last hour
THAT was in the morning. He then
felt strong and clearheaded. When |
saw him in the afternoon he was weak
er, aud referring to our earlier CONVEX
sation told me that he had been reared
in the Methodist faith and that its
teachings had left an impression on
him. He asked me to send for Meth
odist clergyman, which | did. When |
saw him just before he died he told
me what comfort the talk with the
minister had given him and that now
he would face death with a drawer
heart than he could have done before.
IL merely cite this instance" said
DR.. Andrews, "to show that there is
nothing which influences a man so
much in later life, and even in the
death hour. as the environment and
teachings Of his boyhood days. Jim
ME Logue, the notorious burglar and
criminal, told me here in my office that
a night never went over his head that
he did not kneel down aud say his
prayers"
Has there ever been any demon
stration, physical or otherwise, on the
part of all the hundreds whom you
have seen on the threshold of death
which you could interpret as posi-
tive indication of future life?'
Not one"
"Heve you ever encountered inotan
ces in which dying persons have told
you of visions which they have seen.
of voices they have heard?"
Yes, | recall one instance, particu
larry. 1t was that of a man who had
apparently died, but revived for lit
tie time before he finally pissed away
He told me about the lights aud
sounds and chaos of magnificent things
he had seen, hey ond the river, as
he put it, Of course, he really believed
that we saw them, but it was the hal
lucination of the disordered brain.
Persons of fervent imagination and
strong religious convictions may
be dominated by some illusion of this
kind just prior to death. 1t cannot be
accepted as convincing evidence of
future life"
DIR. Andrews, it may be remarked, is
a churchman, with strong religious
views. He explained in connection
with the above statement, that he was
speaking from purely scientific