Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-08-20
ancs when the doctors begin their

WOTk.
First comes the call that tells the
hospital that one more unfortunate is
In dire need Of assistance. In n mo-
ment, almost before the bell stops ring
Ing, the ambulance is bowling out of
the gate, the driver glancing at the slip
Of paper containing the address to
which he is expected to drive. Through
the streets, then, at the best possible
speed. sparing the horse not bit, for
human life may be passing away, he
drives, regardless of the consequences
to him II Ills vehicle should strike an
obstruction, the physician who accom-
panies him clinging as best he can to
the seat In the rear of the ambulance,
until he stops short at the place where
the waiting patient lies. helpless.
With n leap and bound the surgeon
gains the side of the Frustrated man.
1t Is the work Of moment only to
place him on the stretcher, remove a
portion Of his clothing, clap an ice
pack, already prepared, on his head,
and place some cooling substance about
his body wherever the skin can be
reached. Meanwhile the mercury in the
surgeons thermometer, held in the
mouth Of the patient by some friendly
hand, has been expanding to show the
temperature to which the blood has
mounted. BY this the surgeon Judges
whether or not he will be obliged to
resort to hypodermio Injection to
stimulate the action of the heart.
OH, then, to the hospital, on race
for life. Most heat cases are desper-
ate ones, and the run back to the hos
pital is accomplished at gallop, while
the surgeon bends over his patient In
the ambulance, rubbing him with Ice
or performing any other service that
may be necessary for the alienation of
the sudden malady that has attacked
him.
Quickly, when at the hospital the
hard drive safely ends, the patient is
carried into the receiving room. BY his
temperature the mode of treatment is
decided. If 1t is only few degrees
above the danger point, which is 1902
degrees, the patient is taken to one OF
the wards and sprayed with ice water
until the temperature is reduced. Often
this takes long time, but the work of
spraying may not be neglected for
single instant and the attendants must
be faithful in the work.
Sometimes the temperature is at III
degrees. Bath" is the quick verdict,
and off the patient goes to the bath.
room, which Is all ready for his occu-
pancy. of with his clothes in trice
and lay him on the concrete floor, his
head resting on rubber-covered nil.
low. Scarcely is he rested there before
the doctors and nurses, who have been
stripping their own bodies in an adjoin-
ing room. appear in bathing trunks and
girt with towels.
They play a stream OF cold water on
him. recumbent, with a spray nozzle,
while one of them places an Ice pack
under his head and pieces of ice under
his arms The thermometer has al.
ready been placed, and nurse SLABS
the mans legs, arms and body yigor.
ously. In heat cases the blood recedes
from the surface and must be brought
back for proper distribution over the
system. The vigorous slapping materi.
ally assists In this, and brings the hot
life fluid into reach of the cold spray.
Jumps of ice, with which one of the
physicians rubs the mans chest, melt
as though they were being placed
against hot stove. One hand only is
used for this, while will, the other the
physician keeps careful watch of the
pulse, listening closely at the same
time to the breathing.
Ten minutes Of this work-and it is
hard, manual labor-and perhaps the
breathing becomes better. the pulse
more regular and the temperature
lower. The work goes on now wifi,
some hope of living issue, the water
splashing over nurse and doctor ana
the Ice still melting rapidly. There is
no cessation of the slapp!ng and rub.
Ding. for normal temperature has not
yet been reached. and. notwithstand.
Ing the work that has already been
done. the patient is still far from safe.
Suddenly, perhaps. and without an
instant OF warning, the breathing ccas-
es. Dropping, as though it were red
hot, the hose with which he has been
spraying the patient, the physician
falls to his knees astride the senseless
body and begins the work of superin-
ducing artificial respiration The pa
tient is now on the very brink of death
and must be pulled back If possible.
Anodype is injected into his veins and
the water and ice continue to be ap-
piled, the work of Inducing respiration
still going OH.
Thus the light wages for half an hour