Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-03-27
How 10 Restore the Drowned.

boys, in spite of the old woman's in
junction, will go into the water befor
they learn how to swim, same interes
will be felt in the new method of resus
eitating persons taken insensible from
the water, by writer in the New Yorl
Evening Post, who brings to the suppor
of his theories variety of successful
practice.
He does not alaim to bring to life per
sons once dead. But he claims tha
many persons given up for dead, and il
whom to all outward appearances life i
really extinct, may be restored if tn
proper method of treating them is adopt
ed. Animation, sleep, Information an,
drowning are only different states o
positive life, the last being, in his view
Sworld-wide from DEATH" and in fact
"the wisest possible mode of preserving
potential life until favoring condition;
again permit the manifestations of ac
sivity." In drowning animation is only
suspended; the spark of life is not ex
tihguished. He says:
"The closed windpipe protects the
lungs, respiration ceases, the blood eve
rywhere stops in its course, as soldier
on a march halts at the word, but ready
to move on; while in ordinary death the
arteries, acting after the heart stops
nearly empty themselves. Thus quiet
reigns throughout the body, which
though mistaken for the calm of death
is merely the suspense of active life
tending-most essential, then, of all
things-to retard the loss of heat, espe-
cially from the internal organs of the
head and trunk"
The popular idea that water "gets in
to the lungs" in drowning which
would cause death beyond doubt,
is erroneous. The lungs are closed
against it automatically by the larynx,
as it closes against the intrusion of any
foreign substance, and remains closed at
least for long period after drowning,
and at least till death really supervenes.
He asserts that strangling does not occur
in drowning. He cites a case where a
young lady, drowned in the Norwalk
was restored several hours af-
ter the body was recovered; and he has
personally seen animals brought to life
after much longer time had elapsed.
In drowning, breathing, circulation
and the production of animal heat are
stopped. The efforts of those who un-
dertake to restore consciousness should
be directed to three objects: the restora-
ton of respiration, circulation, and heat
Consciousness and motion will inevita-
bly, follow. As heat is life, the writer
says:
at should therefore be the first factor
to secure attention in case of drowning.
To rub the body before it is warm, hop
ing to excite that circulation which ma
ture has suspended. is not only not use
full, but injurious. To circulate cold
blood, if it could be. done, would quicken
none of the tissues; warm blood is an
essential to their activity; and a circu-
lation of cold blood, by still faster cool
ing the body, would be sadly detrimen-
tai. Fortunately. then, it can't be done.
For like reasons artificial respiration be-
fore the body is warm and the circula-
ton started only does harm, except for a
few times desirable to empty the lungs
when suffocation has been caused by
smoke or poisonous gas inhaled"
The directions for restoring the drown
ed and those otherwise suffOcated are
given by the writer, and have been fol-
lowed by him in many cases, successful
Iy reviving several who had been pro-
nounced dead by physicians and aban-
doned as past all hope. As these direc-
tions may be of great value to some of
our readers, we give them in substance:
"First-Know that a person recently
is not dead, and will not be for
4 long time. If not lively he is yet life
ful.
Secondly-When he is taken out of the
water turn his face down for a moment
)nly, to allow any water in his nose or
throat to run out; then place him, out of
currents of air, upon his back, and his
head very slightly raised. Do not roll
him upon barrel, nor do anything else
20 get the water out of his lungs since
here is none in them; nor out of his
since what he has swallowed
will not do any harm.
"Thirdly-Quickle determine whether
le must be carried to where heat is, or
it can better bro'tto or produced near
him. If the former, take him gently, |
quickly, and as near as possible in the |
Ibove said posture.
"Fourthly-If there must be delay in |
.pplying heat and dry protectives can |
,e had, take off his wet clothes and wrap |
he dry articles about him to prevent |
oss of heat, covering the head particu-
arly. The warm underclothing of by
tanders can be contributed. Several |
of almost anything attaina-
lie is better than one.
"Fifthly-As soon as heat is at hand |
pply it as ingenuity and circumstances
uggest to be most likely to thoroughly |
warm the body. When that is accom-
lished theory and fact agree in assu-
ing us that, if life yet persists, the heart
will begin to beat, happily soon follow
d by breathing, both feebly and unfre-
uently at first, but more strongly and
aster until they become natural, when
opsciousness will return. If the heart
ives ane beat, or the lungs one gasp, no
lore need be done; keep the person
1arm and he will so on be all right
"Sixthly-Suffocation in any other
hammer should be treated in the same