The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-08-08
THE LIGHTNING STROKE
AND HOW TO TREAT IT

Someone asked us recently 10 gsll OF
tile effects and the treatment Of light
ming strokes We turned to our books
and-where should we look2 Practice.
surgery materia medica. accidents ana
emergencies? Our library Is supposed TO
be pretty well stocked; II has aided as
in Teplyiag 20 many thousands cf queries
annually for years but now IL seems 20
be silent Finally IN Diapers Legal
Medicine we found a very brief sketch.
From IL We abstract the following items
OF interest.
The Y. s. Weather Bureau reports
show that during five ycars ending 1904
4 there occurred 1920 deaths in this ooun-
try from lightning from April ist 20
/ Sept 3oht. The mortality was greatest.
IN the southwest. The risk Is five times
greater In ths country than IN the city.
OF trees the oak Is most frequently
styueS. the beech least frequently. Trees
struck are standing free or az the edge
OF the forest. During thunderstorms
DANGEROUS places are under trees In
doorways, especially OF barns close to
cattle. near chimneys OF nreplaces.
There Is little sease = seeking feather
beds. small idts Of = b not attract
lightning. The app, OF a storm
causes certain depr, fsa bit the
approximations often are, aswarranted
ono who sees q lightnins flash aseed not
fear Il, since the flash occupies but t.,e
So,oooth part Of second. II represents
a potentiaiity OF s.60io0O volts. Most
victims are men, and they are usually
struck outside the house Lightning does
not always take the path of least resls-
lance. but may leave "a good conductor
and spring across stratum OF air Of
fering maay thousand times more re-
sieiaifoe The flash Is the core OF the
discharge aud the center OF danger
which radiates on an sides from ii.
The eitects of o stroke are 40 varied
that nv rule can be laid down. The
freaks are eNtesos,lipnry Flammariou
aflrmed that no one could study the ef-
fects Of lightning without seeing IN Il
the work of q tricksy Intelligence. some
times malicious. al others wanton OF
snortive, Effects dlametricaly opposite
saNe heen Produced II may heal or
harm abolish sight hearing. aad volume
tary motion, or restore these when LOST
li may strip the body and consume tae
clothing while the body is unin}drsd or
consume The wearer without harm To his
CLOTHES, one may De hurled 20 "a dis
innce. another IS found "a tie position
when struck hat dead One has limbs
amputaied, heart ru7tured. bones com-
miuuted. another shows no lesion one
has the muscles softenod. lungs callaps-
ga, blood fluid. another shows exactly
tfe opposite. One hods putehcs raaldly
another dehes puireflct0n Tor davs
suic6en persons have absolutely ais.
appard. leaving not the slightest trace
wide Elliah's tpnsaiion)
One case Is thus described: Three Ia
hofers took refuge from a storm IN
shed one rcnmining outside. The
window was blown OUT by blaze
~ lightning and the tree against which
no other man had stood was stripped
of Is bark. BIS boots at the foot of the
tree the snan lying naked two yards
away. With no clothing bur part of the
left sleeve Of his aeauel shirt ltshonsh
tNo minutes hefore he had been com.
p'eiely clothed including y fsw pair Of
hponaiied boots. Tho ci0hes were scat
tered in AN directions Tie man had
been hurled ga. she ar but had not iosi
fonse 'quNuees. iiis eyebrows. whlsktrs
and iHafd mert slusei zoe chest ard
belly disnayed fanchinr hurns down
ftrs ihlfh e1t leg "a long bufn. TIE
flfnt lfel Noended ana fhe 0s caicis
commNmifd oi the right leg CONF
rpHnd t'tciufs bni ht recovered His
Jacket Has salH lr Two his shirt Ia