The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-12-03
RESCUED FROM TIE GRAVE
woNDARFux RFsuRREcrIoH or
PAoPLD APPARENTLY DEAD.
a Woman and n Child Seemingly
Dead Restored 10 consciousness
Some valuable Suggestions.

Woman and n Child Seemingly
Dead Restored 10 consciousness
Some valuable suggestions.
The Washington Star prints the fol-
lowing letter: My attention has been
called to an article contained in your
publication entitled "A Wonderful
Resurrection, quoted from the Lon
don Lancet relative to the case
of q woman fifty-three years old
who was found hanging eight min
utes after she had been last seen alive,
suspended by a cord which encircled her
neck. When cut down the latest known
appliances failed to indicate the slight
est spark of life. The physician in at
tendance, however, resolved to try slow
artificial respiratory action. In the
course of ten minutes application of
such action the faintest signs Of return
ing life were observed by means of a
stethoscope. The work was continued
incessantly for two hours before natural
breathing was sufficiently established to
dispense with the artificial means.
Apropos of the need OF steadfast and
hopeful perseverance in efforts to restore
those who have apparently lost their
lives by strangulasion which this lesson
teaches desire to relate an incident of
my own experience.
While engaged in conversation with
relatives, whom l was visiting year
ago, / was abruptly interrupted by the
startling information that the little five-
year-old daughter of the next door
neighbor had fallen into cistern, con-
tanning rain water, and been drowned.
HuTiedly proceeding to the spot l
learned that the body was still lying in
the water. As soon as possible it was
gotten out and lad face upward on the
ground, with the hands tixedly extended
beyond the head, then with my hands
I exerted a continuous pressure on the
chest in imitation of slow breathing mo-
ton. The feet were Immediately barred
and large cloth, dipped in boiling
hot water, was held to the soles. In
about twenty minutes from the COM
mencement of the restorative action we
we're rewarded by seeing the little one
breathing naturally, and in a few days
she was playing around as well as ever
On comparison of notes it was dis
covered by the closest calculation that
the child must have been in the water,
which was three feet in depth, at least
five minutes. When taken out the body
was cold and rigid, the eyes set, the face
OF deathly pallor, and, so far as ordi-
nary signs indicated, resuscitation was
apparently an impossibility.
In view of the surprising success at
| tanned in the case of the woman, 10y
means of artificial respiratory action
only, would it be unreasonable to pre-
sumo that if the blood had been forced
to circulate by the application of heat,
as in the case of the child, that she
might have been resuscitated in less than
two hours2
The result of suffocation is sus-
pension of respiration. Taking for
granted, as a matter of couese in all such
cases, that the condition of the heart is
normal, can any one say positively that
asphyxia of even thirty minutes duration
might not be overcome?
The possibility of resuscitation in va
rious cases of sudden apparent dissolu-
ton, resulting from other causes than
those mentioned, is we'll worthy of seri-
Gus contemplation, in view of instances
constantly occurring of persons having
been buried alive through ignorance of
the attendants concerning prompt and
proper action. In any event, what harm
can result from practical application of
the remedies suggcstedf