Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-04-21

be applied for the purpose Of breath
ing renewed life into bodies which are
liefless, or apparently lifeless. To
use the words of the inventor, it is an
aerotherapeutical apparatus. A ves-
sci into which water is poured is sur
rounded by an air chamber and has
fixed in it an upright tube surmounted
by globe. In the center of the tube
Is vacuum gauge. When the proper
valve Is turned water in the upper
tube moves upward and downward,
producing alternate inhalations and
exhalations in another tube leading to
the free air. BY suitable mouth or
nasal pieces the latter tube is to be
attached to the body of the subject.
The instrument being attached and
put into operation, the lungs will be
filled with air and emptied at alternate
intervals, corresponding in regularity
with the natural expansion and con-
traction Of the chest in normal breath
Ing. Thus the blood may be supplied
with Its necessary oxygen, and unless
decomposition has set in life may be
kindled anew.
Still another invention of this class
Is that Of Brooklyn physician. It is
an alright chamber, suitable in size
for the accommodation of a mans
body. 1t is connected with an air
rarefier and compressor, the controll-
Ing mechanism Of which is worked by
a rotary shaft and crank. 1t is claim
ed that the subject inside may be made
to breathe when the interior at
mosphere is alternately rarefied and
compressed, his lungs. as we'll as the
chamber itself, being filled and then
emptied as the valves are kept work
ing.
Still another invention, that of a.
Buffalo man, is bellows and tube. the
latter to be connected with the mouth
and nostrils. The tube before reach
ing the subject passes through a small
stove, which heats the air to the
proper temperature.
An odd apparatus which may be in
cluded In this category, is a sort of
corset, patented by California man.
which while encircling the chest, may
be made to automatically compress and
| let free the muscles Of the thorax.
which control respiration.
The examining board of the life
saving service has been considering the
advisability of adopting resuscitating
machine, known as an insuf1iator. for
reviving drowned persons. 1t in
wolves an air pump. nasal and mouth
pieces, and a hypodermic apparatus.
Should the future develop improve
ments in the direction toward which
these inventions as well as the theories
Of reliable medical specialists are
pointing We may yet see the day when
our friends may be brought back to
life after several deaths and when life
may begun again by an external rather
than an internal force. When this
happy day arrives the physician will
visit the deathbed, resuscitator in
hand, maintaining artificial circulation
and respiration, while at the same
time repairing or replacing the worn.
out organs. In these wonderful days
of scientific achievement there seems
to be no reason why the vital flame
because once extinguished, cannot b.
reignited to once more put the delicate
animal mechanism in motion.
Up to this time physicians have &C
complished little by attempts at re
suscitation, except in cases Of cata
lepsy, syncope, a few kinds of poison
ing, drowning, hanging and othe
forms of asphyxia and electrocution
The old-fashioned or direct methot
now generally applied in such cases i
to place the patient upon his back an,
to compress and expand his chest cav
ity by pressure of the hands. Renewe,
life has been breathed into young chill
dren by what is known as the mouth
to-mouth Insulation. The operate
places his mouth to that of the patient
and by keeping up systematic pro
cess of exhalation and inhalation
starts the latter's lungs to workin
again.
Physicians now have hopes of resus
citating q drowned man after life ha
been apparently extinguished for al
hour. Man appears to be more forum
ate than the dog in this respect.
4
In the course of experiments som
time ago to determine this degree G
comparison dogs which had been he'll
wholly under water for minute an
a half never recovered and their heart
stopped beating four minutes afte
breathing had ceased. The testimon
of persons resuscitated after drownin
indicates that such a mode of deaf
is not nearly so painful as one Nigh
imagine. A tickling In the throat
about the only pain which is usual
experienced.
Physicians have recently made OF
servations which lead to new theorie
considering the possibilities OF resui
citation in cases of death from electri,
fly. If person should take a sufi
Client dose Of nitro-glycerine or nitrai
of amyl just before contact with th
current the fatal effect might be cour
teracted. Electricians are yet puzzle
to locate the course which an electr
current usually takes on enterting
coming in contact with the bod,
There have been cases of resuscitatio
from death by electricity. which do
tors have previously supposed to |
hopelessly fatal. The New York Al
thorities are frequently bothered
specialists Offering to resuscitate els!
1 trocuted criminals. Dr.. Augustir
SS-~1