Πείνη δ ̓ ἔποτε δῆμον ἐσέρχεται, ἐδέ τις ἄλλη 109 O. 406 In another Poet, the Dead is said to be struck by the sweet or gentle Sleep of death; Ενδεις, Αγνιάδη, γλυκερω βεβολημένε υπνω In the passage of Shakspeare, the Sleep of Death is of a nature still more gentle than that produced by the Dart of Death.. "Thus smiling, as some fly had tickled slumber, "Not as Death's dart, being langhed at. Thus it is, as the Poets have faithfully described, that the young and the beautiful retain countenances, after Death, or in a state of Suspended Animation, of the most pleasing and attractive appearance, though under a paler and a fainter form, such as they bore in the time of their Life, blooming with all their charms. It is observed moreover, that in a great variety of cases, among persons of every age and of every variety of visage, those countenances, which in the struggle with the violence of the Disorder were impressed with the signs of Death, under its more distorted ghastly form, re-assume after a short time the traits of feature, in the most placid and composed state, which they they bore during the time of Life, before the attack of the Disorder. The shrunk and the shrivelled features, which were stamped on the countenance at the hour of Death, while the disorder was preying upon the frame, oftentimes swell out into a plumpness resembling a state of health, and appear to be lighted up with a spirit of animation, even exceeding any appearance, which they exhibited during life. This species of countenance has struck all those, who are conversant in operations about the Dead with singular force, and their amazement has been so strong, that they have even resorted to a miraculous process for the solution of so extraordinary an appearance. They have imagined, that this placid and intelligent form, which the countenance assumed, was a kind of presaging assurance, that the departed or departing soul died in peace under the joyful hopes of a more blessed state, and that the doom of beatitude was already stamped and displayed upon the counte nance. If the reflections of the observer had taken another turn and considered the appearance under a natural and not a miraculous process; it might have been conjectured, that the Death of the Patient was the period, at which the struggle of the Disorder with the frame was most violent,-that the frame had sunk under the conflict, not indeed so as to destroy the organs, by which the functions of Life are performed, but in such a manner as to stop the visible exhibitions of its existence, and to produce that torpid state of the system, which we conceive under the idea of Suspended Ani mation. From this view of the question it might be imagined, that the frame now left to itself, and no longer harrassed by a contention with its enemy, had resumed its ususal appearance, and had returned to the state, in which it formerly was placed, before its functions were disturbed and deranged by the violence of the malady: or, in other words, it might perhaps be conceived, that in some cases, what we call Death was in truth the crisis of the Disorder, in which nature had worked out her own cure by her own process; though the organs had become exhausted by the energy of these efforts, and were no longer able to exhibit those strong and full indications of Life, which are displayed in apparent motion and sen sation. If this mode of conceiving the matter should be regarded as at all probable or even possible, it will open into new views of this important subject, and will suggest to us a variety of ideas, which bear no relation to the present state of our opinions or our practices in the Medical Science. This conception will be frequently introduced in the progress of my enquiries, in which such portions of it will be occasionally illustrated, as belong to the peculiar vein of discussion in the different parts of my work. I suggest the idea, as a theme of meditation for those Artists, who are accustomed to think and to reason in the pursuit of their Art, and I am little solicitous to engage the favour of that order of men, who are prepared to receive with repugnance every new device for the advancement of their Science, however important may be the object for which these devices are conceived, and however safe may be the process by which they are accompanied. Before I leave the descriptions of the Poets, I cannot omit the opportunity of detailing another affection of the system, which they have described according to popular opinions, and which will lead me to pursue pursue the train of ideas here unfolded. It is a topic most important to the purpose of my argument and demands to be unfolded under every variety of illustration. This affection of the frame, called a Lightening before Death denotes an unusual deof cheerfulness exhibited by a person, gree labouring under a Disorder, immediately before the time of Death. In the speech of Romeo, which I have produced, these words occur. "How oft, when men are at the point of Death, "Have they been merry, which their keepers call "A Ligthening before Death. The commentators have duly observed, that this idea frequently occurs in our ancient Dramatic writers, and they have produced various passages, in which it is to be found. "I thought it was a Lightening before Death, (Downfal of Robert Earl of Huntingdon 1601. ) This affection of the frame agrees well with the suggestion, which I have before expressed, and it accords likewise with the Medical Theories both of the ancient and modern Physicians of our Country. The system of Dr. Darwin more especially illustrates this train of ideas, and seems almost directed to P the |