Dehydration death seen as peaceful "This is the way many, many people died over all of the millenniums," a doctor from Penn said. By Stacey Burling and Michael Vitez Inquirer Staff Writers Terri Schiavo is dying now as many aged and sick people have for eons. Though some people see letting her die of dehydration as inhumane, doctors say it is a surprisingly gentle process. [snip] "It's a very painless and very compassionate way of dying," he said. [snip] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------