Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-01-15
Sure SIGN OF DEATH.
ONE SIMPLE TEST THAT, 1T Is Al
LEGGED, NEVER FAILS.

Physfcinn Who Says He Has Tried
1t More Than II thousand Cases
Eyplnins Ills Method of Preventing
Premature Burial.
The question OF an absolutely sure
sign Of death has troubled mankind
from ancient times. 1t has been Most
yariously 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 it 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-
TEN only, Is not at once followed by
the inactivity of the peripheral nervous
system and its special so called vegeta-
tive centers, as long ago was demon
strated by Browns equard. Schiff and
others. SO the lungs may continue to
contract and expand, die heart may
continue to beat. even If 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
If 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 its
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 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 d.
minished to bGt so few faint pulsations
per minute, might become SO impercep-
tible, that without the aid Of special In
struments and long continued observa-
lions 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:
If we ligate tight a member Of the
body-best, for example. a finger be-
tween the first and second joint-in the
living we will soon notice. beginning al
most at once. reddish coloration Of the
portion above the ligature. 1t 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 lig-
allure there will be n small. colorless,
white ring. Now, as sure as this dis
coloration will be observed In the living
being as sure will all traces Of 1t be
absent in the dead. The blush discolor-
alton occasionally observed Of and
around the finger nails I'm some corpses
Is Of no influence upon. nor does II In
terfere In the slightest with. the phe-
nomenon and Its correct Interpretation.
The phenomenon OF course Is easily
enough explained In the living by the
stagnation Of the blood In the veins
and the capillaries when new supply
through the arteries and the backtlow
through the veins Is cut off by the liga-
ture. The white ring around the latter
is produced by the partial arterial. par.
tial venous an1ma.
In place Of finger. II. as 1t 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 III
order to make the ligature as tight and
perfect as possible.
have used this means In about 1880
to l,O40 cases previous to post mortem
examinations.
In one case only observed the men.
toned discoloration. though 1t was
impossible to notice any heart action
by any means. l at once resorted to
venesection. 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 1t 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-
dOre Deecke In Utica Press.