St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-22

there has appeared chance for recov-
cry, physician should be sent for at
once if death occurs. 1t should rest
with him, not with the relatives and
friends, to say when life is extinct.
As for the tests of death, the only re-
liable one, according to Dunglinson, is
the commencement of putrefaction. But
there are several others which, when
applied together, would remove all
doubts. Some physicians have great
faith in the electrical test. Rosenthal
once found muscular cOntractility in a
subject supposed to have been dead
thirty hours; consciousness returned
fOrty-eight hours afterward. If ammo
MIA is injected under the skin and a red
blotch is found, life exists. 1t is held
that no one ever dies with tears in his
eyes; hence if tears are found, as in
cataleptic patients. there is life.
Another test is to place the end of a
finger in candle flame until blister
forms; if this, when opened, is found to
contain only air, then death has oc-
formed, then life is present. Among
the Old-faShioned tests of death is hold
ing fine feathers to the nose and mouth.
BY the means Of these it can be deter
mined whether or not the subject still
breatheS.
A looking glass was used for the
same purpose; the breath dimS with
moisture the surface of the glass. Still
another test was to place tumblerful
of water on the chest of the supposed
dead person. If there was even very
faint breathing the fact would be regis
tered on the shining surface of the
water. But these tests are by no means
infallble. for life may exist in cases
ic sci RI nj
respiration or circulation.
There is good reason for believing
that oftentimes where persons are
stricken down suddenly. as in cases
generally pronounced heart disease, In
not few instances they might be re-
suscitated if the current measures were
promptly applied. In every such case
artificial respiration should be COM
menced Oh the instant the victim falls.
and be kept up until physical arrives.
Very few know how to produce artifi-
cial respiration, and it is very simple
and easy.
Lay the patient on his back, and put
under his shoulders rolled-up over
coat, hard pillow, two thick books, or
anything of the sort. Pull out his
tongue with a thumb and finger, aud
have it held by an assistant. If there
is strong rubber band handy, take
turn round the tongue with that to pre-
vent its slipping back into the mouth.
Now kneel at the patients head, facing
him, and take hold of his arms Just
above the elbows.
Draw Them Both Gently
and steadily upward over and back of
the head as far as possible, and keep
them there for a second or two. Then
carry them back again to the patients
sides, and press the elbows firmly
against his sides for another second OF
so. Go on doing this perseveringly, if
necessary, for an hour or more. The
object of 1t is to promote expansion of
the lungs to admit air by the first move
ment. and its expulsion again by the
second movement. The time is coming
when every intelligent person will know
how to produce artificial respiration,
and the different methods of treatment
III all other common emergencies will
be taught in our public schools.
At present laymen think that it is
only necessary to employ it in drown
ing. but they will learn in time that in
many other accidents life may often be
saved by it. In the future physicians
will be better provided against these
emergencies. Several drugs of won
discovered within the past few years;
one of these in several instances has APP
peared to have literally brought per-
sons back to life. There is ah agent
now occasionally used which, i'm the
changed condition of things, is likely to
come into much greater prominence.
Reference is made to oxygen gas,
which is indicated in every case in
which artificial respiration is needed.
When the good time comes, the phySi-
clan, when called to case of sudden
death, will not merely make a cursory
examination and say ''all is over" but
there was life which he could rekindle,
and only after hit has exhausted every
means of resuscitation will he give up
the patient as dead.
A Word as to the Fear
which possesses many that they will be
buried alive. If one has family ply
stefan of the much too common sort
undeserving. by reason of ignorance, to
bear the honorable name--he certainly
has some grounds for the fear; but if he
has physician thoroughly educated
and conscientious, he need not be at all
une asy, for all the necessary means of
veri ticatiOn of death will be employed.
The newspapers have recently told of
a man, and we think a physician, who
willed that after death poisonous
dose of morphine be injected under his
skin. His method was not such bad
one, but is not likely to became popular.
To delay burial until the commence
ment of putrefcation should be the rule
in all instances where there is shadow
of doubt as to whether or not the death
is reality. That soon occurs when the
body is put into a room heated to be-
tween so deg. to 80 deg. and the air is
kept moist. And this suggests that, ex-
cepting in cold weather, it is the rule to
died into ice boxes OF ''coolers:" or, if
they are to be buried at a distance, to
embaim them by the injection of pre-
serving fluids. 1t is scarcely necessary
to say that there is danger in this hur-
ried custom.