The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-07-01
Struck by Lightning.

The popular idea is thai when a
person has been "struck by lightning"
and falls senseless and remains in that
condition for q considerable time, not
moving or breathing, he is dead and
nothing can be done for him. 1t is a
wrong idea in many cases, and the
person really dies for want Of the
proper treatment to restore animation.
1t is desirable that this fact should
be generally known, so that the suf-
ferers may be saved in all possible
cases.
When the electric current has been
of sufficient volume to produce de.
structive tissue changes, all efforts at
resuscitation will be futile, Of course,
but the condition should not be as
sumed to exist, in the absence of ex-
pert judgment. tits always reasonable
to try to effect restoration in such
circumstances. 4 paper published
recently by the United States depart
ment of agriculture describes the
nature of the patient condition when
he has not been killed outright, and
gives instructions for his treatment.
The condition, it says, is zone of
exaggerated faint and %''prompt
stimulants are necessary" The first
important requirement is that "the
man must be made to breathe" if this
be possible. The efforts to induce
breathing must not be suspended until
it is "fully aud normally restored
or until it is absolutely certain that
life is extinct. And it should be
most carefully noted and borne in
mind always that this fact "can not
be assured in less chan an hours per-
%sistent, energetic, t~ireless effort
The attempt to resuscitate a person
stricken by lightning, in short, should
be made as patiently and per%sistently
as the effort to resuscitate one who has
been drowned. The operation in the
two cases is very much the same. The
paper we have quoted directs in sub
stance:
"Place the person on his back, head
down and bent backward, arms folded
over the head. Never raise the head
from the ground or floor. Place a
hard roll of clothing beneath the chest
with the shoulders declining slightly
over it. Open the mouth, pull the
tongue forward, and with a cloth wipe
out saliva or mucous Thoroughly
loosen the clothing from the neck to
| the waist-but do not leave the body
exposed it is essential that it be kept
warm. Kneel astride the subjects
hips, with your hands we'll opened on
his chest, thumbs, pointing to each
other and both resting on the lower
end of the breast bone little fingers
on the margin Of the ribs, and the
other fingers dipping into the spaces
between the ribs.
"Place your elbows firmly against
your hips, and, using your knees as a
pivot, press upward and inward toward
the heart and lungs, throwing your
weight forward for two or three seconds,
until your face almost touches that of
your patient-ending the movement
with a sharp push, which helps to
Jerk you back to your first position.
At the same time relax the pressure
of your hands, so that the ribs spring
ing back to their original position.
will cause the air to rush into the
lungs.
"Wait for two or three seconds and
repeat the motions. Keep repeating
them, at the rate of about ten to the
minute, until the patient breathes
naturally. If there is no response to
your efforts, persistently maintained
for a full hour, you may assume that
life is gone.'
1t is added that it is important"
to maintain the warmth of the body,
by means of hot fannels, bottles Of
hot water, hot bricks, warm clothing
taken from %bystanders, etc. If an
assistant can be had, he should firmly
and epergetically rub the limbs up
ward SO as to force the blood to the
heart and brain. But, remember
above all things that nothing must
interrupt your efforts to restore
breathing" When swallowing is es-
tablished a teaspoonful of warm water,
wine, diluted whisked or brandy should
be given. Sleep should be encouraged.
In brief: ~ MAKE the patient breathe,
by initiating the respiratory move
ments of the chest. (2) Keep the body
warm. (3) Send for a physician.
Accidents from lightning occur
every summer, but attempts at resus-
citation are never reported, if they
are made. They are probably very
rarely made. They should be made
in all cases and persisted in until
obviously hopeless-'for a full hour,
at least" The information and in
structions contained in the depart
ment's circular should be published
in every paper, and carefully taught
in every school in the State. They
are all important in the emergency to
which they relate, and every intelli-
gent person should be able to apply
them at need. Death is usually nearer
at hand than the doctor where the
lightning flash has fallen.-News and
Courier.