Tcniiiiiatioii in Death. 103 



weaken), a natural and necessary termination for each individual 

 cell and for the entire cellular complex. In the individual cell, as 

 well as in all the tissues of the organism of higher animals, 

 changes are continually proceeding which lead to the destruction 

 of the living substance and sooner or later result in the death of 

 the individual. The living multinucleated organism is continually 

 losing cells by their death, the substance of which is eliminated 

 from the economy with the excretory material or is broken up and 

 re-employed by the system. From causes inherent in the organ- 

 ism itself, but at present impossible of clear definition (vid. Ver- 

 worn: Geschichte des Todes ; Allgem. Physiologic) the power of 

 multiplication ceases in the individual groups of cells and organs 

 in varying rates in the different species of animals, and with vary- 

 ing swiftness the characteristics of old age and of death become 

 apparent. Perpetual youth, immortality in the sense of reproduc- 

 tion, always renewing themselves, is possible only for the conju- 

 gated sexual cells (propagation cells), while in case of the somatic 

 elements (and those sexual cells failing of copulation) the vegetal 

 force sooner or later disappears. Whenever the decay of cells of 

 vital importance reaches the grade in which it distinctly interferes 

 with the rest of the economy, the mutual relations of the various 

 parts is disturbed, and death ensues, just as a clock stops when 

 its wheels wear out or are broken. 



Transition from life to death may occur suddenly (mors subi- 

 tanea) ; the animal falls from its standing position to the ground, 

 becomes unconscious, and for a few moments at most is thrown 

 into convulsions with groaning respirations. Such sudden termi- 

 nation may be noted in death from lightening stroke, sun stroke, 

 rupture of the heart, cerebral concussion, massive internal haemor- 

 rhages or cardiac and cerebral paralysis. In the majority of in- 

 stances, however, death comes on gradually, with the manifesta- 

 tion of characteristic phenomena w'hich' predict the termination of 

 life, and which together constitute what is knowm as the death- 

 agony (t7 ayuvla, the Struggle, death struggle). They include the 

 signs of a progressive paralysis of the nervous and muscular sys- 

 tems, together with those of the disease which causes death. 

 Animals in the agonal state are unable to raise themselves from 

 the ground, usually lie flat on one side, from time to time lifting 

 the head and letting it fall heavily to the ground, with the feet 

 rigidly extended and moved convulsively, at first violently, but 

 gradually more and more weakly. Respiration is slowed and 



