The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-03
MASSACEO LIFE
INTO A DEAD BOY
ENGLlaH SURGEON REPORTS RE.
MARkABLE TESTS IN TWO
OTHER CASES.
BUT GRIM REAPER WON
ALTHOUGH Life Was Restored For a
While BY Rubbing Heart and
With Artificial Respiration
Based on Precedent.

| London, Jan "Details of a re-
markable case at Bristol. in which the
action of the heart was restored by
means of massage after apparent
death. are reported by DR.. T. A. Green,
surgeon al the British Royal Hospital
for Sick Children and Women.
The patient was boy of g. who
was suffering from complaint which
nece STATED an operation. Chlorofcrm
was administered. and the operation
commenced, when after difficult
breathing. respiration ceased. No
heart sounds could be heard.
Hot towels were applied, and in
jections of strychnine made. but with.
out success.
Then. % minutes after the heart
had stopped Dr.. Green decided to ap-
ply direct compression to the organ.
An opening was made sufficient to adj
nit the right hand; and the heart
was felt to be quite immobiIe and
faced.
The doctor commenced rhyhmical
compression of the organ. with his
right hand pressing against its lower
surface, and his left hand outside
the rate of compression being about
70 a minute
Msssaged the Heart,
This method was continued for
about two minutes without appreci
able effect Then Dr. Green prasped
the apex of the heart with his right
hand. and in the manner continued
the intermittent compression. Soon a
slight Tutoring of the organ was no
ticed The pupils of the eyes also
contracted: and within a few seconds
the heart began to beat forcibly with
more than normal yigor.
Meanwhile, artificial respiration had
been continued all the time; and
within a short period OF the restora-
ton Of the pulse spontaneous breath
ing asserted itself, and gradually be-
came regular
In 10 minutes the heart and lungs
were performing their functions nor.
mally, although the patient had not re-
covered consciousness.
The subsequent hi tory of the case
was, unfortunately, bot SO satisfac
tory. Sensibility never returned. The
patient developed spasms, and early
next moraing he was found to be OBJ
vously sinking, The heart beat getting
very feeble. Death took place 20
hours after the heart beat and respir
alton had been established.
Reports Another Case.
Another Bristol case was that Of = !
boy of 3 who was admitted 10 the
same hospital suffering from diph
iberia
The difficulty of breathing passed
off without an operation, but after
sudden attack Of syncope heart bea;
and respiration ceased.
Compressor Of the heart was com
menced by Or. Green, as in the form
er case, and after five minutes a slow
wave cf contraction was felt passing
over the organ At the end Of an
other five minutes the heart was beat
ing at the rate of IS a minute, and the
ears and lips. which had been livid, !
had resumed their ruddy appearance.
Or. Cree. however, was unable in
this case to restore spontaneous 1
breathing, and the heart itself stopped
pglsa'ing half an hour afterward.
Further massage made # contract
several times, but after a few more
attempts efforts were reluctantly Civ
en- up, one and half hours after he
massage had been commenced and
one and three quarters hours after
the child had died
Based on Precedent.
DR.. Green was led 10 try these
measures through having seen them
adopted by Dr. c. II. Keetly in a case
at the West London Hospital in the
summer Of 1893.
That case. which has not before
been published. was that Of a man in
middle life. Chloroform was employ
ed for the operation. and before the
patient was completely under 81 MS
breathing and pulse stopped
The usual methods for restoration
were adopted without avail AID at the
end Of three quarters Of an hour D..
Keetiy made an opening and com
pressed the heart in the manner de-
scribed by DR. Green in his first case.
The results. however. were negative.
In giving DR.. Green permission to
make use Of this case DR.. Keetly
wrote. I have had had another case
Ike IL since. il which we endesvOred
70 restore circ- lation by opening The
abdomen and pressing the heart
through the diaphragm. but unsIc-