Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-09-21
Dr. David Kennedy, Kennedy Row, Kingston, N. Y.
RESUSCITATION BY HEAT
A SOVEREIGN REMEDY FOR USE IN
SUSPENDED ANIMATION CASES.

A SOVEREIGN REMEDY FOR USE IN
SUSPENDED ANIMATION CASES.
DR.. T. g. Inmbcrts Method of Treating
Persons Supposed to lie Drowned IL
to Apply Heat to the surface of the
Some Remarkable Cases.
We often read of people supposed to
he drowned that We're soon taken from
the water. but life was extinct, writes
Henry NJ. Dean, of Rcadsvillc, in Il
letter to the Boston Transcript. IT, as
| believe. such persons could have
been easily rcSuSclatcd had those
present known what to do, such &C.
counts are most distressing.
In 1879 DR.. II. S. Lambert of New
York City, made public in Il little book
n new method Of rcsuScitation, which
has received surprisingly little attrn-
ton. DR.. Lambert unfortunately min
glcd with his practical directions
much SuporiiuouS thcorizing. hut the
sensible person can easily understand
his main contention.
- - "'N'I'i-I I'lll''bN I'l ShSl'tIl'i'N
animation caused by stran@ulation is
the application of heat to the surface
of the body. He insists that there is
little or no water in the hlnGs of n
drowned person, and that autopsy
shows this. He aflirms that The epig-
lottiS in such cases closes entOmati-
cally upon the windpipc. Hence, the
first thing to do is simply tn lay the
body for Il moment on its fa.r and let
the water drain from the mouth and
nose. Then turn it over and wrap the
whole body, except nose ard mouth,
in many cloths, and then rour con-
stantly upon it water as hot RS ones
hand can bear. Rubbing is nccdlcss
or worse.
Some of DR.. Lambert's remarkable
accounts will make my meaning clear.
Thua, Il black boy fifteen years old
fell early one morning into the waters
of the harbor at Havana ard was
taken out apparently dead. He was
laid on the roof of Il house. a physi-
clan called, and for an hour or more
'h' VI ItSllStllUlIOIl were
tried in vain. lie was then lefS on the
roof, exposed to the fierce heat of Il
tropical sun. Five or six hotrs later
the coffin was ready, and tWo men
went to the roof to bring the body, but
found the boy alive and very little
worse for his adventure.
n man was taken out Of the East
River at Forty-fourth street, New
York, who had apparently hepn under
water for some time. He vus laid on
the grass near by under a blazing sum-
mer sun. After several holr. the po-
lice took him on Il stretcher to shc sta
ton, where it was noticed that his
heart was beating. A brisl, rubbing
of his ears soon restored him +, life.
\ boy of thirteen years, Using in
Chillcothe, Ohio, rode n hO,ss into a
river. where the horse, Stumbling,
threw him into the water The groom,
who was with the boy. succeeded at
length in getting the boy out il, an ap-
parcntly lifelcss condition, hut was so
Mortified that he did not obtain help |
for fully half an hour. Then the fam
tly physician came, who wrapped the |
body in blankets rs hot as he could |
make them, renewing them constantly. |
In fifteen minutes the boy gave i faint |
sigh, then a feeble grOan, and in ten |
minutes more was fully resto:ed to |
consciousness.
DR.. Lambert was once passenger |
on a steamer which was leaving
Cleveland for Buffalo, About o'clock
p. III. deckhand fell into the water,
and his body was not recovered until
u little after o o'clock, and was then
rolled on barrel, etc, till about 10
0 clock Then the captain came to DR..
Lambert and asked X anythin;, more
could be done. The doctor femcm-
bered some remarkable resuscitatiors
of animals by heat, (which he had wit
messed when a boy, but had thea never
experimental with heat upon drowned
human beings. But the captain agreed
with him that it could do no harm to
try. DR.. Lambert sWathed tire body
in wet sheets and kopt them as hot as
his hands could bear. At about II
q clock he detected feeble ana infre-
quent pulse. After about five minutes
more there came gasp, and a. length
another. The pulse and breath became
more frequent, and az u o'clock the
man was conscious and spoke. About
l O'Clock the man put su his clothes
ana walked off to bed. The next morn
ing the man, though very cross, was
about his work rs usual.
And this treatment has nlso been
found effective with infants that have
never breathed and pcrsons strangled
by hanging.
Dr. Lambert's theory IL that the
cessation of respiration an1 circulation
IS not necessarily death at all, but
simply natures method of preserving
life until the heat needed so warm the
blood ard stimulate the nerve centres
can be supplied from without. 1t is
better that cold blood should not cir
culatc. And this state, whep there is
no paralysis from fright or snock. and
there was robust health, may persist
for long time.
However this may be. the method
has one great merit. 1t is
not exclusive. Those who have more
faith in other methods may try them
and If they fail may resort to this.
And the bare possibility that these
ihinG; are so should command for
then: thoughtful consideration and the
widest publication.