New-York tribune., 1905-12-31
EUROPEAN TESTIMONY.

: MANY European physicians are OF the same opin-
ion is DR.. Oser concerning the sensations OF
the dying Il have been much struck by the fact
that patients afflicted with chronic and lingering
diseases appear careless about death, says DR..
Guglielmo Ferrero in the Revue Scienuhque."
The phenomenon is especially remarkable in con-
sumptive patients
Death also sometimes loses its horrible aSarac-
ter, and is contemplated with real pleasure. The
ancient Brahmanical custom Of burning the bodies
of widows with their husbands became almost a
moral privilege for the women. and 10 many OF
them represented the magnificent ending Of a beau
tiful existence. The attempt OF the English 10
eradicate it was met by strong opposition from
the women themselves
"A number Of curious facts indicate that violent
deaths provided they are not too slow. are easy
and free from pain. It might be said that death
excites hardly any horror when it comes quickly
and without previous announcement. SO the con-
fessions of some persons who have escaped the
rravest dangers would make US believe. Mr.. Wall
lace has recorded incidents OF this kind in
his 'Darwinisrn' and says of them that those per-
sons who have escaped from the clutches OF lion
experienced physical or moral sunering IN their
peril Dr. Livingston describes his feeling when
seized and shaken by a lion kind OF stupor,
with nc pain or terror, although he fully con-
scious OF what had happened to him. So chloro-
formed subject is able 10 follow che operation with
out feeling the instrument.
.sNr whynper when he fell several hundred feet
on the Matterhorn rolling from rock TO rock till
hs slighted on OF snow, which fortunately
laid aim i,,st clear Of the edge OF precipce al
though he received a number OF contusions. felt
no pain and did not lose consciousness. but simply
specUlated as TO the number OF tumbles he would
stfn receive before It would be over"
CLERGYMEN DISPUTE IT
me book in which Dr. Osler expressed his views
on death is entitled "Counsels and Ideals" and
IA published by Houghton. Aiiflin 6 Co. and while
the doctors observations corroborated BY many
raen OF his own profession. ret they have aroused
tie most adverse criticism among others. Among
the cIergynnen OF this city who have read what
Or, OsIer says the great majority believe that he
ts wrong. They say that his deductions unfair.
that as a man Of science he cannot rightly Judge
of the spiritual symptoms Of ~Al physi-
caans" says tbs Rev. Dr.. Chsees II Parkhurst.
land 7 would say that DR.. Osler Is exception
70 the rule, are much more interested IN tbs
physical ingredients OF their patients than IN their
spiritual nature that It IS not strange that such
petisnts are not often disposed to take their ply
sician into their religious confidence My obserya-
ton has been ysry different from Dc. Osler's and
Qualities re 20 say that not only In the closing
hourr OF nfe but n the years preceding, the fact
of death IS very real factor n experience. and is
influential IN ways thst the appliances OF the ply
sicaan or OF the surgeon are quite incompetent TO
Detect"
Critics Of Dr. Osler cay, too. that in soaking the
support OF Buuyan IN returning 20 the death Of
Mr. Badrnan Dr.. Osler has not treated his read
srs fairly. Ee should also have made mention
they say Of the end OF Mr.. Badrnan's brother,
smother wicked man. who in his last hours was
orszed with the thought OF g future life
Bunyan. they say. did not wish to show that al
Eusn died the way, bat that while wicked
nsz ended his Gays m erpsre0s psses- snsfher OF