The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-08
TO RELIEVE COMA.
A Hospital Stewards Explanation of
Treatment.
Baltimore American.

Baltimore American
''I entered a cafe the other evening and
was treated to a surprise, as well as gain
ing piece of information which Is valua-
BILE for everybody to know, but which ev-
erybody does not know, remarked we'll
known correspondent this morning.
AT the end of the bar. sticking out in
front, were the four legs of a chair turned
down, back TO the floor, and over the ele-
walton of the chair thus formed were the
'Around the four legs of the chair and
the two legs of the man were grouped sew
eral men. including one or two members Of
the United States Hospital Corps.
thought they were trying TO suffocate the
recumbent man. and was about to expostu-
late when one OF the hospital corps ex-
planned:
TT looks as If we were trying to kill
him by causing a rush of blood to head.
doesn't it?' he inquired of me. We'll, we
are not trying to kill him. but We are en-
deavorinss to cause the blood TO rush TO his
head, and that will bring him out of the
coma, or faint, which he is In and save him.
Men and women fall in faints in the
public places of all cities every day. and
until the ambulance or a physician comes
not one person in hundred in crowd
knows what TO do, and, in fact, ninety nine
out of a hundred will do the wrong thing.
This man. a big, powerful fellow, a
stranger. dropped like shot 10 the floor
as he was about TO pay his check Most
people would have elevated his head and
poured brandy down his throat but We
so as to cause the blood to return to the
brain. Why? Because his face was white.
We just unloosened his collar band, lacked
his feet up, and, continued the hospital
steward. you see his white features are
gradually become normal, his eyes are
opening his natural color is coming back,
and we now lift him to his feet, so
''And they pulled the big fellow up, blink
ing and staring. but very grateful to the
stewards who had, perhaps, saved his life.
"'You see,' resumed the hospital steward.
there are several kinds OF coma, but there
are two great fundamental causes TO be
borne in mind in these emergency cases:
First, as in this case. where the pa
tents features are white, il means that
you must elevate the feet to cause the
blood to return to the brain, and under no
circumstances elevate the head. Don't for
get this, and.
Second. when the features are purple
or red, indicating q rush of blood TO the
head, or a sem-apoplectic condition then
elevate the head and depress the feet and
in each instance unloosen mans collar
band and in the case of a woman her
dress. Many are the persons whose lives
have been sacrificed just because those who
attended them elevated the head in all
cases.
The heart has a hard time OF it in all
. cases of coma, and where the valves are
weak they sometimes are too enfeebled TO
sustain the pressure of a congested eircu-
lation, and they just quit working over
time, the patient passes out, as the press
reports put IL, mot having recovered con-
sciousness." when he or she might have
been saved had either OF these two simple
suggestions here given been put immedi-
atefy into effect biz those on the ground "