The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1903-03-26
TO RELIEVE COMA,
a Hospital Stewards Explanation OF
Treatment.


Treatment.
Il entered 4 cafe the other evening
ana was treated TO Il SURPRISE rs we'll
Ms gaining Il piece OF informal ton which
Is valuable for everybody 20 know, but
which everybody does not know" re-
marked wcll-kuown correspondent
this morning.
"At the nd Of the bar sticking out
IN from; were the four legs OF Il chair
turned down back to the floor. and
over the elevation OF the CHAIR thus
formed were the feet and legs o. Il
man.
Around thc four legs OF the chair
and the two legs Of the man were
grouped several men. including one or
two men of the United States Ilospital
Corps l thought they were trying
to SURROGATE the rccumbcnt man, and
was about to cNpoStulatc when one OF
the hospital corps explained:
III LOOKS rs if we were trying to
XIII him by causing Il rush of blood to
the head. doesn't it, he inquired Of
me; well. we are not trying to kill
MN, but we are cndravOring to cause
the blood to rush to his head, and
that Will bring him out Of the coma, or
1nlht. 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 Il
physician comes not one person in q
hundred in a crowd knows what to do,
ana. In fact, nmcty-ninc out Of u hum
dred Will do the wrong thing.
"'This man, big, powerful fellow,
n stranger, dropped like Il shot TO the
floor rs he was about TO pay his check.
Most people would have elevated his
head and poured brandy down his
throat But We elevated his feet over
the upturncd chair so as to cause the
blood to return to the BRAIN Why?
Because his face was white. We Just
unloOScd his collar band. lacked his
feet up, and continued the hospital
steward, you see his white features
arc gradually becoming normal his
eyes are opening. his natural color IS
coming back, and we now lift him to
his feet, So
blinking and staring. but very grateful
to the stewards. who had perhaps
saved his life.
You see resumed tho hospital
steward. there are several kinds OF
coma. but there are two fundamental
causes to be borne in mind in these
emergency cases:
"'FirSt, rs In this case, where the
patients features arc white, II means
that YOU must elevate the feet to cause
the blood to return to the brain. and un-
der no circumstances elevate the head;
don't forget this. and.
"'Second, when the features are pur-
pie or red, indicating rush of blood
to the head, or Il Scmi-apoplcctic con-
dit1On, then elevate the head and de-
press the feet. and in each instance un-
loosen mans collarband, and in the
case Of woman her dress. Many are
the persons whose lives have been sac
rificcd just because those who attended
them elevated the head in all cases.
"'Thc heart has n hard time OF it
IN all cases Of coma, and where the
valves are weak they sometimes are
too enfccblcd to sustain the pressure
OF the congcStcd circulation, and they
Just quit working overtime, the patient
passes out. as the press reports put It,
mot having recovered consciousness. "
when he or she might have been saved
tions here given been put Immediately
into effect by those on the ground. -
Washington Star.