McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-10-09

portions OF her dress, eight minutes
after she had been seen alive by another
patient.
When cut down she was apparently
quite dead Animation was SO COM
pletely suspended that there was no
symptom which enabled the medical
men present to distinguish her condition
from that of real death. This is the
markable feature of the case. So far
as the doctors could see the woman was
dead The skin was ashy pale, the sur
face temperature very low, the lips were
livid and the eyes dilated and insensi-
BILE to the action of light; there was no
pulse at the wrist or temples; no def
mite heart beat could be detected even
by the stethoscope; respiration had alb
solutely ceased, and Inconsistencies
was complete. Even the application OF
galvanism failed to contract the mus
cles. If the woman had been criml-
nal who had suffered the extreme penal
ty of the law the physicians would
doubtless have been justified by the
symptoms in pronouncing her dead;
yet she is alive to-day, and not only
well physically but fast recovering from
all mental arrangement
DR.. White and his assistants wisely
refused to act upon appearances. They
gave their patient the benefit of the
doubt in their minds, although that
doubt was very slight. Resort was had
to artificial respiration according to
what is known in medicine as the Sill
vester method. The movements were
performed slowly-only ten times a
minute-but about ten minutes after
they were begun an exceedingly feeble
attempt at natural respiration was
noted, and very weak pulsations of the
heart were perceived by the aid of the
stethoscope. Ten minutes is long
time to wait for the first signs of return
ing life, and it is to be feared that in
many cases of apparent death, espe-
cially by drowning, the measures neces-
sary for resuscitation are not continued
long enough to rekindle the smoldering
spark of life that remains in the body.
There can hardly be too much patience
or perseverance. In this case artificial
respiration was steadily maintained for
two hours before the natural breathing
was sufficiently established to dispense
with assistance in this way. If it had
been abandoned earlier the woman
would probably have died, notwith-
standing her partial restoration to SEN
sibility.
We need not follow the treatment in
detail. The patient became perfectly
conscious about eleven hours after the
act of strangulation, and in the course
of fortnight was in good bodily health.
She lost her melancholy illusions and
became cheerful, looking back at her
attempt at suicide with horror. For
two days from the time of hanging,
however, her memory was a complete
blank.
This extraordinary case is interesting
in several aspects. The complete SIM
ulation of death suggests possibility
that physicians may sometimes them
selves be deceived as to the fact of
death, especially careless practitioners
or those of comparatively limited infor-
nation. We have already referred to
the lesson which it teaches of the need
of steadfast and hopeful perseverance
in efforts to restore those who have
apparently lost their lives by strangu-
lation or drowning. 1t would appear
that artificial respiration is more useful
and effective when the movements are
performed slowly than when they
exceed ten minute. This is an impor-
tant point for those to remember who
are called upon to render first aid to
the injured. Finally, this remarkable
occurrence may well lead to speculation
as to the many stories which have been
published of the restoration to life of
men who have apparently suffered
death by hanging on the gallows.
1t is probable that fully seven min
utes had elapsed between the moment
of the act of suspension and the time
when the women was cut down. Who
can say that similar measures might
not have brought about resusciation
if she had been hanging twice as long?
And might not a strong man possess
the potential ability to recover, with
like assistance, from the effects Of stran-
gulation lasting half an hour? Who
can now assert, with confidence, that a
convict with neck unbroken cut down
after hanging thirty minuts, and turned
over to friends having all the resources
of modern medical science at command,
might not be called back to existence
in this world?
Such an event is improbable enough,
we know; but we do not see how it can
be pronounced physically impossible,
in view of the facts to which we have