evident that this specious improvement was unreal, that the clearing up of his mind was a mortal sign, ‘a lightening before death,’ and that he would _die forthwith_. On entering his room he did not notice us; his eyes were fixed on vacancy, he was occupied entirely within himself, and all that we could gather from his words was some indistinct mention of his sister. His hands were cold, and his pulse immeasurably quick--he died that night.”[32] Some pass away in sleep. In natural healthy sleep respiration becomes slower, the pulse weaker and less frequent, the circulation generally feebler. The difference in these respects between the waking and the sleeping states, is to the dying person often the difference between life, and death. The circulation already reduced to the lowest ebb compatible with life, is yet further reduced by sleep, and with this reduction the patient dies. These are those who ‘sleep away.’ Similar to, if not identical with them, are those to whom death comes so easily that not a ruffle disturbs any portion of the frame, and the most intelligent observer is unable to fix the moment when life has fled, so easy is the parting of the last link, ‘when the body drops to earth and the soul rises to eternity.’ It is probable that here, a mere act of dozing becomes the act of dying. In these instances as in old age, death is literally the last sleep, _uncharacterized_ by any peculiarity. The general languor of the functions in the _last_ waking interval, is attended with no peculiar suffering, and the last sleep commences with the usual grateful feelings of repose.[33] The length of the interval between insensibility and the absolute cessation of existence, varies greatly from a few seconds to several hours or days. But consciousness is often retained much longer than is generally supposed, and it is difficult to determine when the external senses, and particularly that of hearing, are completely and absolutely closed. The senses of smell, taste, and touch are generally the first to fail us and disappear, while those of sight and hearing continue much longer.