Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-03-14
Easy Ways to Know When Lite
Has Fled.
Simple Methods That Will Prevent
Possibility Of Premature Burial
Injection of Fluorescein Only
UnfaiIng Plan.

New York.-When the doctor pro- /
nounces the patient dead, is he sure! /
And if not. what tests can remove all .
doubt? These questions, though not .
often spoken are probably present in
the minds of friends and relatives at
every death bed.
AS death is the worst OF all disas-
tiers and no mistake could be more
awful than premature burial, 1t Is
not merely interesting but important
for people to know what tests are
conclusive and what are not.
When the breathing stops and no
sound Of heart beat or pulse can De
detected, there is little doubt of death.
/ But the little doubt is in itself SO
! dreadful that these common signs are
not enough If the body grows slowly
! but steadily cool the doubt is lesseneo'
but by no means removed. Nor is IL
sign of life if. after dropping, the tenn
perature suddenly rises again.
The placing OF a mirror in front OF
the mouth and nostrils is we'll known
test The theory is that even the
faintest breath will dim the mirror.
This test is not only worthless, but
likely to cause false hopes. Gases
generated in the body very frequently
issue from the mouth and form
mist upon the mirror.
Steel needles are sometimes thrust
into the muscles for a period of an
hour and then examined. II the per-
/ No Of tho blood
should rust the needle; II dead IL
should not. This test in actual prac-
tice is unreliable, and no faith can
be placed in it.
Another cause of false hopes Is the
custom of placing a glass of water
: filed to the edge on the breast. The
; slightest movement of the lungs will
: cause a drop to spill. This, too. is
} valueless, because after death there
are invariably certain movements OF
the muscles known as "cadaverlc
, spasms," which are frequent enough to
spill the water.
Probably one of the most infallible
: tests is the opening of an artery. IN
: life the arteries are full of blood under
pressure. In death the arteries drair
; into the veins. This is a very for
: tunate fact, as it prevents the under
! taker from making any mistake. The
embalming fluid is injected by open
2 ing an artery. Should blood flow h
r knows that life still persists and Il
i warned in time.
r Cutting the skin to see If blood vii
e flow from the veins proves nothing
q as it often flows as late as three day
after death.
The X-ray, when it Is available, pre-
vides an excellent proof Of death.
, photograph of live being shows tn
heart with a blurred outline. This /
l. caused by even the faintest move
ments of the organ. An X-ray expo:
ure of a dead person reveals the hear
clear cut and sharp.
r. There are numberless so-called test
il of the eye-its shrinkage in size, tn
g dimming and Jogging of the transpa
st ent part and other signs. These sign
ID are not sufficient proof, nor is the ties
IN of flashing a bright light In the ey
at to see if the pupil contracts.
20 Even atropine dropped on the ey
'e ball brings no evidence. 1t has bee
IS proyed that the drug will dilate tn
eye some time after death.
m Many persons think electricity a
lg piled in the form of shocks is ties
It II is of no avail, as the muscles us
MS ally respond to the current for thre
Is. hours or more after death.