The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-08-07
SIGNALS OF DEATH
Trey Give Assurance That Life Is
Really Extinct.
TESTS THAT WILL NOT FAIL.
Apart From Rigor Mortis, . Positive
Sign Of pssen, the Artery Opening
and Fiuorescein Tests Provide Q Bar
Against Premature Burial.

| Against Premature Burial.
When the doctor pronounces the
patient dead. is he sure? And, II not,
| what tests can remove all doubtf This
| gu sstion, though not often spoken. ts
probably present III the minds of
friends and relations at every death
bed.
AS death is the worst Of all disasters
| AMI no mistake could be more awful
than premature burial, It 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 be de-
tected there is little doubt of death.
But the little doubt Is in itself so dread
full that these common signs are not
enough. If the body grows slowly
but steadily cool the doubt is lessened,
but by no means removed. Nor Is It q
sign Of life IL after dropping the tenn
perature 1t suddenly rises again
The placing Of mirror In front OF
the mouth and nostrts is well known
test. The theory is that even the faint
est 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 a mist upon the
mirror.
Steel needles are sometimes thrust
ia a nnrtnd
hour and then examined. II the per-
son Is alive the oxygen Of the blood
should rust the needle, II dead should
nor. This test In actual practice Is
unreliable, and no faith can be placed
In It
Another cause Of false hopes is the
custom Of placing glass OF water
filed to the edge on the breast The
slightest movement Of the lungs viii
cause drop to SPILL This. too, Is
valueless. because after death there
ara invariably certain movements OF
tho muscles known as "cadaveric
spnsms," which are often energetic
enough to spill the water
Probably one Of the most irfallible
tes Is is the opening Of an artery. In
lifa the arteries are full Of blood un-
de-. pressure In death the arteries
drlin into the veins This Is very
FOL ltunate fact, as It prevents the un-
de.taker fIom making any mistake.
The embalming fluid Is injected by
opening an artery. Should blood flow
he knows that life still persists and Is
warned In time.
Cutting the skin to see II blood Will
flow from the veins proves fething, as
It often flows as late as three days
after death.
The X ray, when r. Is available, pro-
vides an excellent proof Of delth. A
ph otograph Of a live being shows the
heirt with a blurred outline. This Is
caused by even the fsintest Movements
Of the organ. An y ray exposure of
q dead person reveals the heart clear
cue and sharp.
There are numberless SO called tests
Of the eye. Its shrinkage In size, the
dimming and Jogging Of the trans
parent part and other signs. These
signs are not sufficient proof. nor, Is
the test Of flashing a bright light In
the eye to zee II the pupil contracts.
lfven atropine dropped on the eye
bal brings no evidence. It has been
proved thar the drug viii dillte the
ey, some tine after death.
ldany persons think elec tritity ap-
piled In the form Of shocks Is test.
1t is Of no avail. as the muscles usually
respond to the current for three hours
or more after death.
Proof beyond question Is supplied
when the stiffening known as "rigor
mortis" sets In. Hysteria. catalepsy
and other states often simulate that
stiffness. Rigor mortis begins In one
part Of the body. usually the muscles
Of the throat, and gradually extends
throughout the body, while the various
living forms Of mus lie stiffness come
on instantly and belong to all the
muscles.
.rhe so called "diaphanous" test is
unreliable IL you hold your hand
close to candle or other bright light
| the fingers show a certain rosy trans
lucency. the bones appearing as dim
shadows. After death the fingers
usually become as opaque rs II made
of marble. But exceptions are fire.
quent enough to make the test worth
less.
"A harmless but very powerful dye
va led fuorescein will settle all doubts
vey quickly. IL a hypodermic syringe
Is used to inject little Of this dye
under the skin II has no result on a
lead person. But !, this De lone to
ono In WHOM, there Is the slightest trace
Of circulation there follows at once an
upmistakable and stiirtling result The
entire skin becomes golden yellow
and the whites Of the eyes turn an
emerald green. The effects pass away
soon after the pulse and breathing
are restored ibis and the test Of open
ing an artery are probably the only In
fallible death tests.-New York Press.
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