The San Francisco call., 1904-12-18


pearances she was sleeping too sound
ly to be reused.
For almost two years she lay In that
peculiar unconscious condition. while
the medical world pondered and sug-
gested every remedy that was half way
51stifiable. Her case was discussed In
scientific journals and on all possible
occasions. but the deadly poison had
permeated her being too thoroughly and
too completely to respond to any treat
ment. and at the end OF two long years
this sleeping Galatea slipped mercifully
away into the great unknown.
Since that time all sorts and condi-
tions Of restoratives have been used for
the relief Of gas asphyxiation, but with
vSrying success. as all seems to depend
upon the individual cases. The very
day OF the Benedict catastrophe a
sailor on the water front was hurried
off to the Emergency Hospital and
a new theory that a French surgeon
has been advocating was put into prac-
tice in this city for the first time. Hy-
drogen peroxide was injected into this
stomach with tube and as soon as
the remedy was absorbed by the
stomach and the oxygen began to
circulate freely through the blood
he sat up and denied in a most siren
uous fashion that he had ever tried to
kill himself or that he had ever enter
1ained such a thought for a single mo-
ard almost instantaneous, so much so.
in fact, that those who witnessed the
miracle drew a long breath Of relief
and felt that the~perplexing gas prob
lem had been solved at last.
Yet when Mr. and Mrs. Benedict were
lying at deaths door this antidote was
not resorted TO. nor yet was oxygen
used. though 1t stood by the bed ready
to be tapped at a moments notice.
Medicines were not their salvation nor
do they owe their lives to artificial
means. Plain. ordinary gymnastic
movements were kept up until the
breath OF life returned to them and
they were in a fair way to recover. or
course, no one could rally from such
a shock and not feel any depressing
results, but. at least. all their energies
were bent on recovering frcm minor
troubles, such as bruises and black and
blue spots inflicted by their energetic
son, rather than from the after effects
of powerful medicines.
No one. even in the seclusion OF
ones own home. can ever feel abso-
lutely secure from this deadly demon
who stretches out his greedy arms and
claims the rich and poor alike. Nor
can one tell when its messenger will
sink through the hooks and crannies
and leave death in its wake.
A few years back it was content with
merely poisoning its victims and gen
orally stealing in on them In the mid
die OF the night, but now II Is no
strange thing TO hear OF explosions. and
such mighty ones that brick and NOR
tar cannot withstand its force.
The +. w. Bradley incident was a
fair example Of that. The odor was not
strong enough to prevent him from
walking down his front stairs with a
lighted cigar in his hand, but the gas
was powerful enough and had collected
to such an extent that he was blown
across the street and picked up nearly
dead. While IL was not a direct case
of asphyxiatfon. the man was. In an
unconscious condition for hours and the
gas that he had inhaled into his lungs
had much to do with his precarious
condition.
If one knew just when or where IL
would strike. or just what remedies
would prove to be the most beneficial.
there would not be such universal
need Of care or precaution, but IL never
fails 10 come like a thunderbolt from
a clear sky. And especially so since a
small quantity is quite as pungent and
as penetrating enough TO III a good
sized room.
SO the only thing to do and the only
way to feel safe is to fortify ones self
against the evil hour. 1t may be all
very well enough and good to bleed pa
tients and supply the loss Of blood by
a saline solution. and 1t may act like
a charm to use peroxide, but while
the household is running hither and
thither after a doctor. valuable time
is being lost and 1t is no uncommon oc-
currence for the patient to die before
the professional man arrives. And even
II he does come in the nick OF time the
medlclne may not CounleldCl the gas
as it should, and the victim Is indeed
a victim, not through negligence Of any
kind, but through ignorance and a sort
of a general misunderstanding all the
way round
Even. II one did know what to do and
had the strength to do 1t promptly and
well, the medicine chest may be dis
tressingly empty. and nine times out OF
ten it is in the case OF an emergency.
but the knowledge that one carries In
ones head or in ones vest pocket is
always ready and always available,
and If it IS as effective as 1t was with
the Benedicts It viii certainly prove to
be a veritable godsend to more than
one household At any rate. 1t Is such
trifing thing to carry about that 1t
cannot possiblY be a nuisance and it