Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Interesting ways to die: 1805

"In consequence of a wound in the groin, which he received in a duel..."

"Drowned herself by walking into the sea..."

"He was employed to remove a part of the wall between Dean-street and Dean-yard, when, owing to the badness of the foundation, the whole of the wall, near 20 feet long and 10 feet high, fell down upon him, by which he was so dreadfully bruised as to cause his death in a few minutes."

"They then followed the little dog up stairs, who led them to a room on the third floor, the window of which was open, and on looking out, they perceived Miss W. laying on a newly-dug bed in the Prince of Wales's garden, having thrown herself from the window. She was still alive, although she had fallen on her head, which was sunk in the ground. Mr. Taggert was sent for, who gave her every possible assistance; she survived, bleeding, a very few minutes. She was a very fine young woman, just 22 years old, and took a most active part in the business of her parents, of whom she was the only child. She had dressed herself preparatory to the fatal event. An inquest was held; verdict, Lunacy."

--From The Gentleman's Magazine--

The woman who drowned herself by walking into the sea was a widow and that was almost all they said--how she died, who she was, and that she was a widow. The lack of details makes it all the more shocking. That's something no human-interest story could capture.

1 comment:

dr kill said...

I have had two great- aunts die this past year, both of them no-nonsense, kick-assin, live-by-themselves, stay-outa-my-way DIY farmgirls. When they suffered their strokes, one at 94 and one at 96, they assumed that when they recovered they would go home. When they understood there disabilities were final, they both stopped eating and were dead in 10 days.

I am very proud to be related to them. They lived the life they loved to the end, and then quit.

These current fucking organo-wymen-soccer mom-health nazi fascists seem to be interested in livng forever.

But from my POV, looks like they only are earning the right to be 90 years old for 30 years.

Fuck them.

And Obama healthcare will kill them anyway.