The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-10
PULL HIS TONGUE.
DIR. LabOrdc, a Partisan Savant, Claims
That That Is the Best Way to Re.
suscitotc a Diving Man,


From the Times-Herald.
The Hellman horror, through which
six human lives were lost, is too fresh
In the public mind to need recount
ing. An entire family, father. mother
and four children, was killed by as
phyxiation. Not one was saved! This
is the particularly sad feature Of the
terrible tragedy, which would make any
thoughtful man exclaim, What was
done to resuscitate these unfortu-
nates?" The answer is. Nothing
In the excitement attendant upon the
discovery of the l!feless bodies. nobody
thought of resorting to means to recall
the apparently extinct spark of life.
The report Of the calamity, after de-
scribing in what positions the victims
were found, "look!ng, except the father.
as If they were enjoying peaceful
slumber, from which they could be
awakened" ended by simply stating
that ut was evident that life had been
extinct for some hours. and any effort
of resuscitation would have been fruit
less."
The subject Of resuscitatng persons
from asphyxiation, whether 1t be
through drowning or otherwise, is Just
now receiving considerable atten,'oi,
from the faculty of the Paris Meuicu'
academy A number of DOCTORS eN
pressed their opinions that large per
centaEe of people who have apparent!
suffered death from suffocation might
hAve been recalled to life by patent
and scientific treatment.
Advocates Tongue Pulling.
IT remained for DR.. Laborde to startie
the learned body by his decidedly mover
wav of treating cases OF sunocation.
uis h,zane method seemed both to
amuse and frighten the assembled ooc.
tors. DR.. Laborde insists that the most
effective and, as far as he has touhu'
, siccessful way Of resuscitation Is oo-
tanned by the rythmical pulling OF the
tongue OF the person suffocated. The
modus operandi, he explains. is simple.
The victim Is laid on the ground. table,
floor or any sufficiently large fiat sur
face Most people dead, or apparently
so have their jaws firmly set. The
mouth is forced open as wide as possi-
HE and kept in that position. The doc
tor or OlneT Opetdtoi oSi6N' e''N
with a firm grip. Then while pressing
down the base Of the tongue with a
spoon or similar object he commences
IN null Il out to It's full length toward
himself with steady but strong mo-
tion. This must be kept up at the rate
of fifteen or twenty pulls an hour. The
tongue is very liable to slip through the
fingers, and this must be carefully pre-
vented. DIR. Laborde advises the per-
son performing this operation to wrap
handkerchief around his hand, by
which means he will secure very firm
hold on the tongue. "There need be no
pulling too vigorously" he says. 80
long as 1t Is done with the regularity Of
clock work. this being imperative to in
sure success. Care must also be taken
that the operator always pulls the
tongue toward himself, thus getting
all the muscles in play which would be
prevented II the pulling was done side
ways. If possible 1t Is beneficial for
the person who Is being resuscitated
TO have somebody vigorously rub both
the chest and the lower extremitles."
How the Idea Game to Him.
DR.. Laborde says that the idea Of this
process suggested itself to him while
trying some lab?.atory experiments.
He had noticed that animals asphyxi-