The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-10-11
LIFE-SAYING LESSONS.
SOME VALUABLE INSTRUCTIONS IN
RESUSclTATlON METHODS.

old Measures unscientifc - A Review Of
the Newest and Most Successful Ways
Of Heviving Partially Drowned Pcr-
sons ~ Pointers TO Keep Ia Your Mind.
Acting upon the suggestion Of Health
Ofhcer Woodward of Washington, ID.
G., DR.. Lynch. an expert in the resus-
citation Of partially drowned persons,
recently addressed the guards at the
Washington bathing beach in sub
stance as follows CThe Post of that
city reporting):
"The power Of discovery" said Dr.
Lynch has q direct relation to the
quantity of mucus froth in the air
tubes, and to the penetration of the
substance of the lungs with water
The larger the amount Of froth pro
duced, the less the hope Of recovery;
for when the lungs have undergone
these changes they are physically I'M
ttted either to receive or eXpel air by
respiration, and are incapable of col
lapsing. It. is right that every reason
able effort should be made to restore
life. but if the lungs are sodden with
water their functions cannot be re-
stored by any mode of treatment
after removal from the water the
continuance of the hearts action fur
nishes no criterion Of the power of re-
covery. A human being, as a rule, dies
if submerged for a period Of from
four to five minutes. In a few eXCep-
tional cases persons have been resus-
citated after this period, but it is most
probable that in them the lungs had
sustained no physical damage. When
the submersion has been short, the
respiratory struggle below water
slight and the person has been treated
Immediately on removal recovery is
probable, but under opposite condi-
tions it is, with rare exceptions, hope
less.
Whatever be the method of resusci-
tation adopted, it should be put into
practice without a moments delay.
Constraining clothing should be loos-
ened or cut away The mouth and nos
trils should be cleared of DISTINCTIONS
liquid or solid. If signs of voluntary
respiration persist, even though very
feeble, they should be encouraged by
brisk friction of the chest Shaping,
switching and by the application of
ammonia vapor to the nose"
DR.. Lynch emphatically protests
against the old method of rolling the
body on the ground or over a barrel,
and against holding the body with the
head inverted and shaking, with the
| false idea of draining the water from
the lungs. This, he says, will readily
snap the slender thread of life. He
says the amount of water in the trach-
ca and bronchial tubes will always be
small, and may be removed by simp-
Ter and less harmful means.
eff the person has ceased to
breathe" continued the physician
without stopping to remove wet cloth
ing or to secure a more suitable treat
ment, the body should be turned face
downward and slightly lower than the
level of the trunk. With handker.
chief grasp the tongue of the victim
and pull it forward and to one side OF
the mouth. Another operator should
stand astride of the hips, and locking
his fingers together under the belly
raise the body as high as he can with
out lifting the forehead off the ground
give it smart jerk and hold it sus
nI 10
two-three-four-fve, repeating the
Jerk more gently two or three times
This facilitates the escape of water
and mucus from the mouth and throat
"These are the first steps in what is
known as the Michigan method The
newest method substituted in itS
place is the Sylvester method Tc
continue with the Michigan method
the patient being on the ground, face
downward the operator stands astride
the hips and grasps the points of the
shoulders by the clothing; or, if the
body be nude, thrusts his fingers into
the armpits, clasping the thumbs Ovel
the points of the shoulders; and raises
TIC CuGSI dS ulSu DIS uG Cdu WlClOu
lifting the head quite off the ground
and so holds it long enough to coun
one-two-three. He then replaces
the body upon the ground with tn,
forehead resting upon the feXed arm
the neck Strengthened, and the moutl
and nose free. Then placing his ell
bows against his knees and his hands
upon the sides of the patients ches
over the lower ribs, he presses down
ward and inward with increasin!