Section IX. OP DBATU AND ITS CONSGQUBNCRS. (Part 1)

Section IX. OP DBATU AND ITS CONSGQUBNCRS. Thb condition of animal, and indeed of all organized beings, is, that sooner or later their existence is termi- * Th« n*(]«r ia rvfjrrad for rnith«t informalion upoD Ihit iotcreiting Mb. )ec(, lo Dr, I'ricli«r<l'> RoMrchvi inio thu Pliytic, tliti, of tSan, Boitodt'a Kl. Syt. of Pb;r- vol' Hi' p. SSO, and to Dc. £IUotKin'B edition of Blamen. bMdi') Pbyt. p. Stil. ''OP NATURAL DEATH. nnted by death. WbnU-vtr miplil have been, in the be- ginning, the will of the Gri;i»t Creator of the Universe, with respect to the inck'hnitL' extension of tlie lif« of tnan, it is vvi[li.-at that the preiicnt state of things re* quired its limiuilion ; for as wc nre endowed with (he faculty of reproduction, the ettrtli must have become overpopulutcd, if it were not for the bounds which death has fixed to the increnKe of our Mpocies. The terra of death is a[>plied to the definite und total cessation of all those phenomena which collectively con- Btihite the state of life. The human body seldom reaches the limits of its ex- istence, by the progressive und naturtil decay of its organization, but rati\er by the hurtfiil effects of acci- dental causes. So numerous und destructive arc the discascA and accidents to which, ut each moment of our existence, vre are exposed, that not tnore than seventy- eight persons out of a thousand die of old age. There are then two kinds of death, natural death and acciden- tal death.* Oa Natural Death, or the Death of Old Age.-f In describing the ages of mau, 1 have traced the principal changes which are induced in his organization by the progress of life. That outline proves that, after a cLTtuiu period, the deterioration of the body is so great, as to be incompatible with the performance of * In Ihit place we cmjiloy (he fapKMioiit natural death, in iti ritici mcea- ■Dg, and OQt in iM more commoo acccplatioo, accnrdmg lo wliii;h, il it op- po«Ml lo iiuLlai Di violent d«lh. t Thf rraJer inuy conuilt with gnrnl tt!va[)tjg:« tUe Mlebrattd work of Bichat, '* H(«'hcrcbt9 PhyuologKjuf* tvt la Vic c( la Mml." The Jul ailii-le of Pan In, uid the whole of Pun ad, relate lo death >ncl iUcooMiquencai. a II CHAN0B8 PRODUCED BT AGE. those nctions on which life dqiends. As this tion ia inevitable, as it is the effect of the simple coDtint ance of life, it may be truly said that e^'ca from our ' creation vrc bear within iw the genrut of our dissolution. The pro{,Tessiw clungcs which tJikc place in ihe struc* ture of the budy, as nge increases, arc attended by a corresponding decline in the energy of the aniiual func- tions. It has been said by Bedard, that life consists eR«ientiaIty, of the reciprocal action of the circulation of the blood and of inner^'ation ; and that the death of old age results from the simultaneous decay of these two functions, and of their respective organs. This is pro- bably correct, but wo mufit recollwt that there are several operations which arc necessary for the produc- tion and support of the above functions, the intemiptioa of which would endanger or destroy life. It is io ihu manner that digestion becoming weak and slow, fur> nishes only h Rmall quantity of imperfect chyle ; that respiration dimioished in its activi^', only partially r&< novates the blood ; and, lastly, that this fluid, no longef freed iu a sufficient manner by the secretions of its nox- ious particles, becomes unfitted for the nourishment of the various organs. Besides these circumKtances, which affect the quality of the nutritive fluid, the quantity of it is greatly dimini&hed. The power of the heart is Ich> sened in old age ; the arteries become firmer and less elastic, and their capillary branches are much fewer than in the earlier periods of life, owing to a gradual obliteration which the injections of Ruj-sch and the in- vestigations of more modern anatomists, have proved to take place .to a great extent, llius many parts which previously were pcrWous, are so condensed by the acca- mulation of solid matter, as to be impenetrable by CIIANOBS PRODUCED OY AQE. sels. Partly owing to these chunges, portly owing to the diminution of the vital powers, independently of the physical dctorioration, the functions of life arc grvatly debilitated, und, in part, destroyed. The nervous system loses itn encT^ ; the sensations are blunted, and even lost ; the intcllectuAl faculties are lirst impaired and then extiDj^ished, and thus does tlie mind lapse into second childhood and mere oblivion. The muscles ore altered in texture, and no longer contract with vigour ; and the joints, losing their suppleness, become rigid and un- yielding ; the movements ore weak and imcertain, the limbs totter under the body, and at length art unable to support its weight. The voice also, depending on muscular contraction, is deprived of the fulness of its tones, and becomes weak and shrill. Thus, one after another, the phenomena of animal life homg extin- guished, man loses the consciousness of his i:xistence, and he is dead to all around him. But still the invo- Itmtary actions continue, although in n languid manner. Inner'ation, respiration, and circulation, prolong, for a short time, an inanimated existence ; till at length these weakened supports yielding, life is finally extinguished. It is probable that innervation is the first that gives way ; then the fimction of the lungs is stopped ; and, lastly, the blood not being admitted through those organs, oc- curaulatcs in the Isfrge veins, tn the right cavities of the heart, and in the pulmonary arteries.* * The riKbl lide of the tiean, contiautng to nctive Uood from (he ««iD». bwti after the irftutioD of ihe ictiou of the left vcnlncle, Tlw capillorjr dr- cuhtion prucccdi fbr Kmc time iubKi]uenl lo the mov<nnenl of the blood thfoiigh the hMit. I hkn frequently. In tepMlltrg tl>c«x{>eri[iiei)buf Dr.W; fliilip, obactvud ihc drculalion tn the capilloiies going on for ■ very coniiihr* ■bl? ftnoi after dnth, or iiftct iVic heart hnd bcva tLioOTed fram the body. ' a2 OF ACOIDEMTAL DBATU. 0/ Accidental Death. Accidental Death, or, as it has been termed. Morbid Death. U tJie most usual termination of life. The causes of nccidentnl death are too numerous nnd di-crsifictt to be mentioned in this place, but although they are ko extmnie- ly multitudinous, the modes by which they destroy life are few. It seems to be ascertained, that any tiling which interrupts the nction of the nervous system on tlie or- gans of circulation, or the action of Uic blood on lb« centre of the ncn'ous system, will cauiic death. It is evident tlmt eitlier of these erents may be produced in many different ways. Mechanical and chemical injuries inflicted upon the brain, the heajt, or the great arteries ; upon the organs of digestion, of respiration, &c., when of sufficient severity, will destroy life. DrseAsos affecting the same parts, will produce a siuiilHT effect, but in a slower manner. The dopri\Titiou of air, by causing black blood to circulate in the arteries, and thus to be carried to the brain and to the coronary arteries ;. and the loss of food, by preventing the formation of chyle, will cauw; death ; but much more speedily in the first than iu the second in.stance. Lastly, tlie intitiduction of deleterious substances into the economy, where they become mixed with the maiM of the circulating fluidg, proves destructive to life I»y the noxiouB inlluoncc they exert upon the vital organs. ^Ath. ElUotton Hjn, ■ wbtQ <toih occun by impnlimeiil to the fiiDctiOD OCftc liingi, iIm haul lowi ib imbbilily by lU lubitant* bcroming pri»c- tntti villi iviMui bkMt), and otun co piopvl tlw blood of its raviim; aiMl Ibe bnia bccooiinf; po>rcilaB ftDtn the uune carat, csmm bolb to pcR«iB unouinOB io ibr lungt Troro (be winl of Tmh »ir, tod tu b« able lo wtll R»> piraibD. irihedtath of ttie body wiw from ilm bnin. it U by llMbnuo bviog ^^m uiutil' In tonlinir mpinuii'n." BluixfiiBcA'i Piytietagir. Noir, p. 137. ^ or THE DEAD BODV. 101 Of tht Dead Body. Life has no sooner UTminatL'd than the dead body begins to be affected by chemioU iigcnt^. These speedily destroy the combinations which previously existed, and reduce the orgnniwd textures into those elementary sub- Btanccs which belong to all inert bodies. The process of decomposition* is influenced by various circumstunoes, which may accelemte or retard its progress, or even alto- gether suHpend it. The state of the atmosphere, the season of the year, the a^ and constitution of the indi- vidual, the quantity and qimtity of the humours, the kind of death, &c., will, in a great degree, determine the progress of putrefaction. It is also important to state, that the mode of alteration in each organ varies accord- ing to its texture, composition, density, and actual state at the period nf dissolution. The nature of the prexious disea-se, if any has existed, will modify, in a striking manner, the phenomena of decomposition in the indin- dual parts, and in the entire corpse. The heat of the body is generally lowered some time before death. The process of cooling begins upon the surface and in the extremities, and afterwards extends to the trunk and internal parts, till the body is per- fectly cold. This change proceeds quickly in propor- tion as the temperature of the atmosphere is low. as the subject is weakened by age, by disease, or by the loss of blood. Under favourable conditions, it is accomplished in two or three hours ; but it commonly requires sixteen or twent)- hours; or, if the weather is worm, two or three days may be necessary. During this period of * Sic,QMiuucr. I'ulilo SyaojiliqiHi da t'tiiiwiucaui CjuLtv^riijuii. i CHANOBS PBODUCIO coolinp:, the body is, in genern], soft and flexible ; and, having lost all resistance, readily obeys the laws of gra- yity, or external force. It is stated by Dlumenbach, that the vital eluiittcity ' itnd fijlness of parts, dep'>n(l upon tlie contraction of tbo cellular tissue, and th:it after death, even in young sub- jects, full of juices, Uie back, loins, and liuttocka, hav- ing for some time lost their vital tone, are, if the body is Alpine, depressed and flattened by the superincumbent weight which now is not resisted ; this appearance may, therefore, be reganled among the indubitable signs of dentb. The eyes, which an; half open, arc fixed and glazed, and the pupil is diluted ; the lower lip and jaw are pendent, and the mouth is partially open. The sphincters are relaxed, so that the feces and urine are oc- casionally di&charged, and eren parturition has occurred ; thcKc phenomena probably depend upon the last mus- cular contraction of the inlc&tines, bladder, and uterus. ■Whilst the body retains its warmth, the blood remains fluid, and, for a time, it continues to circulate, although in an imperfect manner. I have fmjuenlly observwl the cireulalioii of the small vessels of the mesentery going on upwards of an hour after life had been destroyed. The aorta and the large arteries arc empty, whiht, on the controrj', the Teins, the right cR'itiefi of the heart, and Uie pulmonary arteries are distended with black blood. It hos been supposed that this depends on the elasticity of Uie arteries, and on the mechanism of the chest ; but I beliere it is principally caused by the pro- pulfuvu itction of the cR]>illary vessels, which, continuing for a considerable period after the contraction of the heart has ceased, pushes on the blood towards the ve- nous syslHn, where it necessarily accumulates. In some BY DBATB. faiilaBkccs, in whicli dmth has been caused by suSbcatJon, this accumulAtion is so great as to cause cODgeslion, erection, and even bloody transudation. The blood thus remaining fluid, obeys its gravity, and is di^lormincd to those parts which are most dependent, 0£ the buck, the shoulders, and frequently the head, causing in these places red or livid marks, which urv strongly contrasted with tlie g;cneral paleness and yellowness of tJie Ijody, It soinetimeH happens that the face looks flimhed, a deceitful appearance, which was thought by the late Mr. Che\TJier, to depend on the oxygenation of the blood which had staj^ated in the cutaneous vessels. The contractility of the muscles may be excited for some hours alter death ; but the period varies in dif- ferent animals, and even iu the different muscles of the some animal. In proportion as the animal heat is lost, the sofl parts gradually stitTen, and the muscles contract and become rigid. The blood, which, till this period, had remained Huid, now coagulatai, and forms in tlie vessels yeUowish concretions, which are often intermixed with soft black coagula ; it frequently Imppens, however, that the blood has the dark venous cboracler.* In consequence of these changes, tJie limbs are rendered stiff and resisting, and the articulations are immoveable, unless considerable fra-ce is employed to bend them. Tlie stiffness of the dead body begins in the trunk, and extends to the upjier and then to the lower extremitieii. This phenomenon, which is almost constant, exhibits uuny varieties as to the time of its commencement, its * Then » occatioDslly obinvcd id iIw vnitriclci, an uppoannoe which TiuljiTn miOBlcn for polypi of tin? heart. This ii owing lo th<f fliirtn c4 the btood being iiimly cuogiiUlcd m the suahcioflhocsintw coluinov. CHANGBS MODrcBD iutensitir, and duration. In sudden denxh, caused hf v\n\enl atfections of tbv brain and ncn'ous syslem, the cadaverous contraction does not take place, the musclt^ remaining flaccid, nod the blood fluid. In such cases, the warmth of the body 'm maintained for a cnnsiderable period. In the death of age, in thai catised by chronic diseA.se, bv phthisis, by excessive fatigue, by septic, gan- grenous, or scorbutic diseases, the stiffness, which fol- lowA vcrir' (|uicklY, is not intense, and continues only for a fevf bours. Ou the conlrarj-, in young, strong, or robust persons, in those who die from violence, firom sufl'ocation, or from acute diseaiies, the stiflTpning doesi not commence for twentj- or thirtj- hours, it is very great, and remains during three or four days. The rigidity of the soft parts ceases spontaneously, •ad in the same enter in which it began. It is suc- ceeded by an uni*'ersal relaxation and softness, which gradually augment. The humours which were coagu- lated, again become fluid, and their fluidity is even increased. They gravitate into the dependent parts, and produce a general flahbiness of the corpse. The limbs are alHindoned to their weight, and directed by it, they readily bend of themselves. These arc the first phenomena of putrid decomposition. Some anatomists have observed, that the hair and the beard continue to grow for Slime time after death. This has been doubted, but it is a fact that I have bad frequent opportunities of witnessing in the bodies which are brought into the diii^ecting r«M)m. Putrefiietion is an intestimd and spontaneous move- ment, the inxTrse of the organic action, which is esta- blished in a body totally deprived of life ; which sepa- rates the particlcK of llie organic textures; rc<hiccs thvm I BY DECOMPOSITION. into a more simple state of composition, and finally converts them into gas, into pulp, into euth, and so returns their elements to the general mass of inert bodies. Vilien putrefaction has eommencecl, the corpse exhalet! an unpleasant odour, which becomes more nau- seous as the process advances. In general, and par- ticularly after violent or sudden death, a considerable discngiigemi'Ut of gas occurs, in the intestines, in the stomach, in the cellular tissue, in the serous membranes, and often in the vessels, esiiucially iu the vcin«. This evolution of gaseous matter causes many phenomena. Thus the tympanitis of the abdomen, by pushing up the diaphragm, frequently causes the trothy mucus of the lungs to pasa out by the mouth or nostrils ; and by compressing the stomach, it forces its contents into the cewiphagiis and pharj-nx, and from thence they pass into the larynx, or into the nosc und mouth. The blood and other floidj! are idso crowded to the head and neck;4 producing the hideous bloiiting of the eountenuiico und starting of ttie eyes, which arc so often the accompani- ments of decomposition. The distension of the abdo- men is sometimes so great as even to cause rupture of its parietes. The generation of gas in the cellular ti.ssue, constitutes cadaverous emphysema ; and its ac- cimiulation in the heart and vessels dctcrmities the moven:M>nt of the blood, and even its exit through any wounds which may exist. >■■ The chief products to which the dissolution of the animal body jpves rise, are water, ammonia, carlionic acid, and sulphuretted, phosphuretted, and carburetled hydrogen gases.* • Tunwr*EI. oT ChcmitU}-, p T89. lOC PBOORB88 or rUTBCFACTIOH. Diiriag life, the varioos hiimoars are retjuaed in the vessels by the density of their membranoui parictes ; but after death, these losing their tone, allow the trans- udation of their coQtenta, which then impregnate with their colour and odour the surrounding parts. Tlius the blood, escaping into the cellular mombruiie, tillows. the course of the lai^ veins, and occasionally of thoJ smaller branches, to be traced upon the surfiws of thaj body by so many dark or greenish streaks. In the] same manner the bile of the gall-bladder tinges the duo- denum and other parts ; and the stomadi is often marked I by the liver and spleen. 'Hw cellular tissue and serous membranes are infiltrated by a serO'SHcguineous tluid, giving to those parte a reddish or brownish colour ; whilst the walls of the abdomen are of a blucish or greenish hue. The redness which is caused after death by the transudation of blood, is vcr)' liable to he mis- taken for intlammution. This fact