The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-04-29
A WONDERFUL INVENTION.
Machine That Brings the Near-Dead
Back to Life.

The Poe artificial respiration ma
chine" is the newest sensation. Prac-
tically, though not literally, Of course,
the machine brings dead dumb-ani-
mails to life. And experts say that it
will work equally well on human be-
ings. In one instance a rabbit thst
was dead" was revived sixteen times
by the machine. Throughout the vir-
ginia country folks regard Professor
Poe as a modern miracle-worker. De-
spite his persistent declarations that
his invention is merely an aid to life
and not creator of life after it has
fled, the country people call him the
raiser Of the dead"
The Poe tests in Washington have
attracted widespread attention. Those
who participated in the tests are firm
ly convinced that thousands of lives
may be saved by the "brass heart"
which is what Poe's machine practi-
cally is. 1t will be especially valuable
In cases of suspended animation
caused by drowning, by gas asphyxia-
ton in mines, and by coma resultant
upon typhoid fever and other diseases.
Professor Poe machine is built as
nearly as possible along the lines of
the human heart. 1t is about eighteen
inches in height, with two cylinders
corresponding to the ventricles and
auricles of the heart-and inlet and
outlet valves. Double tubes enter the
larynx and nostrils of the patient.
Roughly, the contrivance resembles a
bicycle tire pump. While one set of
tubes draws off the poisonous fluids
and gases from the lungs, the other
set forces in the life-giving oxygen.
During the experiments Professor
Poe, by letting the contrivance force
upon him inhalation an0 exhalation Of
oxygen, was, enabled to stop breathing
for ten minutes. Animals, declared
dead beyond all doubt by the visiting
physicians, were revived in few
minutes and were able to scamper out
Of the operating room.
The first experiment was upon $50
crates" a. pet rabbit on the Poe farm.
1t was given two grains Of morphine,
enough to kill a man. Then imme-
diately four ounces Of ether were ad-
ministered. The physicians pronoun-
ced the rabbit dead, after all ordinary
restoratives failed. The machine was
then applied, and within three min
utes the effects Of the poison and an
esthetic were drawn OF, and Socrates
jumped from the table and hoped
away. large dog was then KILLED
and brought to life again within five
minutes. The doctors present realized
then that many Of the evil after eff
fects of anesthesia could be done away
with by the machine. And there dawn
ed upon them another side Of its val
ue, which had rather q humorous as
pect. Intoxication, it was found,
could be cured within a few minutes.
This experiment was actually made
The machine was applied to a hilar-
iously drunken man, drew Off the pois-
onous alcoholic fumes and straigthen-
ed him out in three minutes.
Infant asphsia, that dread accom-
paniment of birth. which stiles many
life before 1t has fairly started to
exist may also be wiped out by the
respirator. DR.. u. p. Jackson and
Professor Poe, with a miniature ma
chine, saved the life Of a baby at
Berkeley last week. The machine did
the breathing for the child until it was
able to strike out for itself.