The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-07-01
THE DROWNED.
What shall De- Done to ResWscif0fe
the eminOlH Dead.

When the body of u person is re.
covered who has not been more than
thirty minutes under water, though
seemingly dead, there is possibility
that life may he restored to il if the
following instructions are faithfully
carried ont:
The first thing to do when the
body is taken ont of the water. is To
raise it gently, and, If water flows
from the mouth, encourage it to do
SO by Il favorable position. but do not
use any rough or violent means, such
as rolling it on barrel, or holding IL
up by the heels, rs is sometimes ig-
norantly done. Such treatment is
both absurd and injurious, and is
calculated tn eXtinguish any latent
spark of vitality that may yet linger
in the frame. for you must recollect
hat death is not caused by the water
rushing into the lungs, hut by the
want of air, which was excluded by
being under water. After draining
the water from the mouth. rs above
stated, lay the body on the right side,
the head and breast slightly raised !;
get Il plank az II shutter, and remove
| the body to the nearest house, of il
no house is near. to Il dry and warm
situation. No time should he lost in
doing this. Having clcansed the
mouth AMI nostrils of froth, mucus,
ETC., the next important step (when
Il person is found with clothes on) is
to strip the body of its wet clothes,
rub it quickly dry, and if there il no
warm blanket or bed to he had, cover
it over over with the spare clothes of
the hystanders. Let heat he applied
to the body in every possible way, for
which purpose the hot bath will he
found the most eilicaciolis Of any,
and should always he employed when
The circumstances of the ease will
admit, but in the absence of such
convenience, the next application for
restoring the natural heat. and which
can always he procured. is hot liam.
ncls and hot bricks. The hot bricks.
wrapped up in II dry cloth, should he
| placed along the limbs AMI side of
the body and to the feet. Gentle
friction with the warm flannel should
he used ill over the body. Ii some
whisky or brandy can lie had made
warm and poured on the flannel il
will be more eilicacious. Not more
than few minutes should he Occu-
pied in putting this process of restor-
ing heat in operation-in fact, while
il is in process IN effort To restore
respiration should be used. This is
best done by gently opening the
mouth, dcpress the tongue, and draw
it gently forward; then press the
diaphragm upwards, SO us to force out
the air in the lungs. which will he in
stantly relilled upon RENTING the
pressure by mir spontaneously rush
ing in to fill the vacuum. All that Is
required, therefore. being the alter
nate pressure upon the abdomen and
chest and its remission, which pro.
cess should he repeated from fifteen
to twenty times i'm Il minute, so us tn
initiate natural breathing rs near rs
possible.
During the attempts to restore
respiration. friction with the hot
ilannel should he unrtmittingly ap-
piled to the body. and volatile stimu-
lantS (SIch rs spirits of hartShorn or
carbonate al ammonia) held to the
nose. If the eye looks clear and
gives the slightest sign of contr;lc.
ton, and that any natural warmth of
the body is detected. there is every
prospect of restoring life.
Perseverc diligently and hopefully
in the above treatment for ut least
half an hour, OF even more, for, ac'
cording To the reports of the Humane
society of London, several lives have
been saved who were submerged III
the Thames over half an hour, and
when taken out remained apparently
dead for nearly IN hour.