_Apnea_, _Asphyxia_.—If for any reason the supply of oxygen is cut off from the lungs, we will have the body dying the result of asphyxia or apnea. The most common forms found of this mode of death are those of hanging, drowning or coal gas poisoning. =Signs of Impending Death.=—The signs of impending death are those conditions which exist on the body or the peculiar features of the body which aid the physician in ascertaining the exact condition of the body. These signs assume many different forms and in no two instances may they be found alike. They of course, are not positive in themselves, but are sufficient to guide us in forming an opinion as to the approach of death. One of the first signs to be noticed is the coldness of the extremities. In this case the coldness begins at the extreme tips of the fingers and toes and gradually extends toward the trunk. This, of course, is due to the gradual diminishing activity of the heart to propel the blood to the extremities. The brain also fails to receive its proper blood supply and becomes weakened and we find the mind wandering. This wandering results in the patient going through movements representing the playing with flowers, or picking at the bed clothing. A further result of this weakness is that the patient may have visions of angels and heaven. Speech begins to grow thick, and a large lump of phlegm gathers in the throat. The hands now feel cold and clammy, and if they are raised they instantly fall. One cannot detect the act of respiration, as the movements of the thoracic walls are so slight as to be scarcely perceptible. The heart loses its power to propel the blood and the stoppage of every organ in the body ensues. The eyes become fixed with a staring look as though they were not focused on anything directly. The eyes lose their lustre on account of the lachrymal glands refusing to secrete. The vital organs, the heart, brain and lungs come to a halt, and we find the body passing from life to the great beyond. =Tests of Actual Death.=—From the large number of statistics that have been gathered together for our purpose, we find that the time of greatest mortality is in the early morning hours between three and six A. M., for it is between these hours that the body is in a perfect state of relaxation, and at the lowest ebb of vitality. The time of least mortality is between the hours of eleven and two P. M., as the body is in a relatively high state of vitality during these hours. The tests of actual death can be placed in two classes, the common tests and the expert tests. The common tests are those that have long been used by the inexperienced to ascertain the fact of death. They are not necessarily conclusive in themselves, but when all are taken together there can not be much doubt.