The Portland daily press., 1896-01-04
ELECT RIG SHOCKS.
Investigations and Conclusions by the
Paris Academy of Medicine.

From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat.)
Paris, Dec. S-Means and ways to Sc
cure resuscitation from heavy electric
shock have at last been discovered as a
result of Investigation by the Academy
Of Medicine in this city. The appalling
lives of brave workmen and dutiful
officers in the service of electrical indus
tries and institutes has long been SUBJ
jectS..of public discussion and there was
apparently no hope for stopping the ter
rible slaughter, as all devices invented
to forestall accidents proved as useless as
the known means for preserving life in
the victims of shock.
Finally the Minister of Public Works
sought to solve the mystery by commits
sioning the Paris Academy of Medicine
fully to investigate the matter, and try
an devise some device for saving the
lives of persons affected by electric
shock. The professional gentlemen were
especially commanded to recommend
method that was at once simple and
capable of execution at a moments notice
and by any intelligent person on hand.
The academy selected a committee Of cleo
trical experts to report on the case, and
the committee began it's labors under the
Presidency of DIR. A. DArsonval, we'll
an authority in all matters connected
with electricity. Here follows extracts
from the paper drawn up, together with
haf Irl1 trxA Of rt1trrn tT<>,,r r~fx,
out:
DR.. D'Arsonval first explains that
electricity occasions death of two differ
emit sorts: "a By the disruptive and cleo
trolytic effects of the discharge. causing
injury or destruction of the tissues. This
death is final. (2) By arrest of respira-
ton and syncope caused by excitement
there are no material injuries, and death
is merely apparent. In both cases the
shock may be Of the nature termed
heavy "Heavy shocks have hereto
fore been generally considered Hsure
death" on the superstition that the cur
rent produces contraction OF the arteries
through it's influence on the nervous sys-
tenn, and that this causes an oyerpoWer-
ing impediment to the flow of the blood
which the heart lis unable to overcome
But this is true only If the victim is left
unaided for a considerable time, or il his
would be resouers cease their efforts at
too early period.
"The writer" continues DR.. D'Arson-
val, "has always maintained that even
the victims of very heavy shooks-as long
as the tissues are not destrOyed-may bs
resuscitated by means Of artificial respira-
ton. I learned this fact by numerous
experiments and the report of a typical
accident in which my method was sue
oessfully tried confirmed all evsr en-
tertained for it. Addressing, as l do,
these suggestions to practical workmen,
think it best to append the minutes of
the report itself by way of demonstrating
my theories.
"The disaster occurred at ST. Denis.
There were three wires supported by a
small post fixed to wall about eighteen
feet above the ground. A workman.
who carried with him telephone
wire which he was about to fix, was
struck while sitting astride on the lower
connecting bar, holding in one hand one
of the conductors and allowing the tele-
phone wire to trail downward. The
momentthe loose wire-that. by the srway,
rested with one end on the connecting
bar-touohed another of the three con-
ductors, the current was closed through
the man; 1t entered by one hand and
escaped in short circuit by one buttook.
Mark, this was very heavy shock.
The man underwent directly the whole
tension of $500 volts. Happily the off
cial superintenuending, the collector
suspected an accident when the apparu-
tus issued sparks, occasioned by the short
circuit. He stopped the machinery. How
soon after the actual occurrence of the
accident the current was cut off could
not be ascertained from any of the par
ties concerned. 1t is within reason to
assume that the victim underwent the
tremendous current for at least several
minutes. Perhaps six or seven.
Zone of my assistants arrived at ST.
Denis from Epinay about a quarter of an
hour after the current had been cut off.
The man was then still astride on the
connecting bar, and no longer exhibited
any signs of life. The first duty was to
release the BODY from the awful position.
AS may be imagined, it was very diff
cult to take him down, and the operation
took at least half an hour, though some
of the workmen We're provided with rub
Der gloves. Thus three quarters of an
hour at least had passed before artificial
respiration could be practised on the
body. There was no response for long
while. Then my assistant thought of an
other method I had advised. He forced
open the mans mouth and lOosened his
tongue. Almost Immediately his lungs
began to act, and after two hours he was
able to speak. Three weeks after the ac-
Clu6ub L sttW tuo lluli Ill6 Ou Lu6
right hand and on the bullock had nearly
healed, and no particular trouble due to
the passage of he current through the
body had manifested itself.
"a similar case is repor ted from Roches-
ter, in the United. States. There the FORE
man of the electric company received
through his body a..3,000-volt current. To
all appearances he was instantly rendered
lifeless, but three other workmen, ac-
quainted with the d Arsonval method of
resusoitation, saved their comrade by
prompt action.
"My formula for reviving the victims of
electric shock is this: A person SO dis
abled should be treated like one drowned.
These are the directive rules. which not
only workmsn in electrical industries
hut every citizen and every friend of
humanity should know by heart:
"Above all, break the contact with the
conductors. If the current can be in
stanty cut off, SO much the better If
not, lose TO time by teiephoning or send
ing, but apply yourself directly to the
body that must be removed.
Sin doing so touch not the victim on
face or hands, or any knaked part of his
body. You may try to lift him up by
the coattails or after throwing blanket
or coat around him. Mind, they must be