Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-26
RESUSClTATING THE DROWNING
Recent Experiments Lead to n Reveia-
tiOn in Methods Formerly
Employed.

A few years ago a scientific commission
was appointed by the English government,
headed by Prof. Schaefer of Edinburgh, for
the purpose of determining the best method
of resuscitating those apparently drowned.
The first thing that confronted this body
was the fact that we were entirely ignorant
as to exactly how death by drowning was
caused. The commission proceeded to de-
termine this fact.
A thorough and elaborate series OF expert
ments on animals were carried out, with
some distinctly interesting and valuable
results. First of all, it was found that
death by drowning is not due to the filling
Of the air passages with water, as many OF
the animals experimental on were found,
upon examination Immediately after death,
to have drawn into their lungs water in
amounts ranging from four to eight ounces
only 0rom one-third of a cupful to a cup
fuD. In some instances death occurred
when only two ounces of water had been
drawn into the lungs.
The chief cause of death appeared first
to be a curious inhibiting or paralyzing
effect upon respiration. so much so that 1t
could actually be prevented by administer
ing a drug (atropin), which stimulated the
heart. and prevented the transmission of
| inns curious ItiitA phl ~ oihb 'AiSN' rs
Prof. schaefer dryly remarked:
IF you are quite sure you are going to
be drowned, 1t is a good thing to take a
dose Of atropin in advance"
The second chief cause of death appeared
to be a profuse pouring out of mucus,
which occurred from the throat, windpipe
and lining of the bronchial tubes. This, by
the violent efforts at inspiration, rapidly
becomes churned into a froth, plugs up the
smaller air tubes and air cells and renders
It almost impossible to get air into the
deeper parts Of the lungs. This accounts
for those puzzling cases In which individ
uals were got out of the water in a very
few secoSds after breathing had ceased
and yet ultimately died, IN spite Of every
thing that could be done to resuscitate
them. They were literally choked by their
own secretions, drowned in their own
mucus. Even the small amounts of water
taken into the lungs were found 10 either
be coughed out again directly, as soon as
the passages were cleared, or 10 be
promptly absorbed into the blood vessels.
This gives us the important practical
knowledge that there is no need TO waste
any time in standing the victim on his
head. or rolling him over a barrel. or shak-
ing him, head downward; In order to get
the water out OF ms lungs Such proce-
dures are a sheer waste of invaluable time.
Next, experiments were made as to effec-
tive methods Of performing artificial
breathing. and II was soon found that these
were Of such a character that they could
be carried on upon a living human subject
Volunteers were found who would put
themselves In the hands OF the experimen,
ters, draw three or four full breaths, ther
completely relax and make no effort al
breathing while the experiment was car
ried on. A tube connecting with a spirom.
eter was placed In the mouth and then tht
various standard methods OF producing
artificial respiration were tried upon then
and the actual amount OF air which coulC
be forced in and out OF the lungs carefully
measured for the first time in the world
history.
It was found that out Of the three ganer