The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-07-15
SUMMER DROWNING ACCIDENTS
The hadependent.

The Independent.
We are just entering upon the season when
reports of drowning accidents become painfully
familiar in the daily newspapers. Scarcely a
day passes during the summer season when
some one is not drowned as the result of almost
criminal carelessness. Some mornings the
drowning accidents of the day before will num-
Der half dozen or more. If it has been holi-
day or a Saturday afternoon then especially are
the fatalities frequent. Many hundreds of
people lose their lives every year, usually in the
midst of their vacations and under circum-
stances that make their deaths extremely sad
for their families. Unfortunately, too, most of
the lives that are thus sacrificed are those of
young, healthy adults who have the promise of
long years of life ahead of them but for the I'M
timely accidents of which they are the victims.
And yet these accidents are nearly all easily
preventable. and the consequences of some of
them can be rendered much less serious by the
prompt assistance of those who are near at
hand, if they only realize what it is necessary
to do.
OF course in these mishaps an ounce of pre-
vention is worth pound of cure. Many OF the
saddest drowning accidents take place from
small pleasure boats. If the injunction of the
United States Volunteer Life Saving Corps were
followed, never to go out in such boat without
seeing that there are sufficient life saving buoys
or cushions aboard to float all of the party in
case of an upset or collision. or unless the boat
is festooned with life saving ropes, it would save
most of the lives that are now lost in this way.
The other injunctions never to stand up in
small boat and never to change places, espe-
cially if there are women in the boat, have been
repeated so many times that it would seem as
though everyone must know them by heart, and
yet it is just the neglect of this precaution that
causes many fatal accident in summer. AS
for the fools who rock a boat for fun, all that
may be added is that there is said to be fool
born every minute, and these, like the didn't
know-it-was-l loaded" variety, are such glaring
examples that one can scarcely be sorry for
them if they cause only their own deaths and
not that of any of those of the party with them.
The other most important series of fatal acct
dents from drowning takes place among bath
ers. 1t seems almost needless to keep repeat
ing each summer that swimmers who are very
nervous, and especially such as are liable to
cramps of any kind, should not venture beyond
their depth unless under circumstances in
which they are assured of immediate help in
case there should be a tendency to collapse or
the occurrence of Granny seizure. Not few
of those who are drowned each year have had
warnings in this matter from their own person
al experience on previous occasions, and must
he considered as taking their lives In their
hands, especially when, in spite of the disabili-
ties under which they labor, they attempt to
make their way to raft or distant buoy against
buffeting waves on blustery days. Alas for hu-
man nature, however, 1t is just the people or
nervous constitution whose physical condition
predisposes them to such attacks that are likely
also to have the hardihood to undertake such
imprudent feats
There is another class of persons who are in
serious danger but to whom warnings are not so
frequently given. These are such as OCCASION
ally suffer from attacks of giddness on land or
who have had serious difficulty with their hear
ing as the result of middle ear disease. In such
cases there is often pathological condition OF
the internal ear which predisposes to an acc1-
dent that may cause total loss OF the sense OF
equilibrium. It is usually said when good swim
mers drown without having made much strug-
gle, and sometimes without much cutlery, that
they have been seized by cramps so violent as
completely to unnerve them. 1t is much more
likely that in most of these cases there has been
an apoplexy in the semi-circular canals. These
semi-circular canals constitute the organ OF d.
rection in man. By means of them, even with
eyes bandaged or in the dark. he is able to direct
himself to a considerable extent and is able to
tell about the position that he occupies IN q
room. The presence of previous ear disease
predisposes these delicate organs to the occur
renee of rupture of one of the small arteries
within them. Should this take place there is at
once a complete loss of the sense of direction
and an intense subjective sensation of vertigo
that destroys all feeling of equilibrium. 1t is
easy to understand that If this should occur
when a swimmer is considerably beyond his
depth there would be little hope of his finding
his way to land. Swimming is after all mainly
a balancing feat in the water, and the balancing
sense would thus be destroyed. Hence the i'm
portance of guarding the ears from injury by
waves and the extreme ACCESSIBILITY of those who
have ever suffered from any vertigo or from
middle ear disease not taking chances in rough
water beyond their depth.
With regard to all drowning accidents 1t must
be remembered that the mere fact that person
does not breathe and has no pulse or even no
signs of heart beat is not definite indication OF
death. Persons have been resuscitated from APP
parent death from drowning as long as two
hours and half after their disappearance from
the surface Of the water. Usually the cases IN
which there has been least struggle are the most
hopeful. Many nervous persons seem really TO
faint away rather than actually drown, and as q
consequence of this are in state of collapse
rather than of active suffocation from submer-
sion. No efforts should be spared, then, to bring
the apparently drowned to life. Any of the
ordinary methods of practicing artificial breath
ing are efficient. 1t is important not to delay
by rolling the patient on a barrel with the idea
of getting the water out Of him. since as rule
there is very little water swallowed. A single
turning on the face, raising the lower part of the
trunk, will dispose of this. The tongue must
always be firmly gripped and pulled well out.
Rhythmic traction on the tongue Is indeed q
great help to any method of artificial respira-
ton. 1t is always mistake to give persons who
are apparently drowned any stimulants before
they have shown distinct signs of life. Even
then stimulants should be given only in small
quantities. If there are several persons pres
emit who wish to help in the process of resusci-
tation it is well to employ some of them in slap
ping the feet and vigorously rubbing the ex.
tremities, not away from but toward the trunk
This will prevent them from gathering around
the patients head and preventing free access
of air. The main element for successful resus-
citation, however, is patience and, again, pa
thence. After all hope has been given up by
those inexperienced in such matters the expert
rescuer will continue his efforts and succeed IL
bringing the patient back to life.
Many Of Us Know Him.