The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-04-20
RESCUE APPARATUS
BRINGS BACK LIFE
Wonderful Results Accom-.
plished by 'Pulmotor" Use
full In Asphyxiation.
From the Washington Star.


There is today in the office of DR.. j.
A. Holmes, director of the bureau OF
mines, little apparatus known as a
pulmotor, with which men supposed ia
be dead have been brought back to life.
II Is wonderfully useful in all cases OF
asphyxiation by gas. People pro-
nounced dead by drowning have been
brought back to life with 1t. 1t opens
no wonderful possibilities in life-say-
ing, not only in mine accidents, but in
the city hospitals and at bathing places,
in every case where death Is threat
ened by the filling Of the lungs with
gas or water.
II Is of German origin, and SO won
derful are the results of its use that II
has been Installed in all the rescue cars
and at all the mine rescue stations by
the bureau Of mines.
An instance Is told OF the saving of
the lives Of three men who had been
passed and repassed upon as dead after
an accident in an Ohio mine. They
were treated with the pulmotor and
restored to- life after three hours work
in the face Of the most discouraging
conditions. The men are said to be
alive and well now.
Miner Is Resuscitated.
In another instance, after terrific
mine explosion that killed $50 men, the
rescue car, with a pulmotor, arrived
26 hours after the accident. A man was
found near the entrance of the mine
whose body showed very slight evil
dence of warmth. The pulmotor was
put to work. and although the force Of
the explosion had blown off one ear,
and otherwise injured him, his lungs
were pumped out, fresh oxygen pumped
in, and the man was resuscitated and
is living today.
TIE pulmotor consists of a cylinder
in which oxygen Is stored under pres
sure up to 125 atmospheres; blowing
and suction valve, actuated by two ac-
Gordon bellows; a face mask which
incloses the mouth and nose. making an
alright connection with the face, to
which mask is attached two flexible
tubes, leading to the blowing and sue
ton valves respectively
When the mask is made alright on
the face and the oxygen turned on the
apparatus works automatically. Oxy-
gen is forced into the lungs until a
pressure of four degrees of water
gagged is reached. which pressure is in
connection with one of the accordion
bellows, and owing to the elongation of
the bellows under this pressure the
valves are turned and the pressure in
the lungs released.
Working of Valves.
The suction valve Immediately begins
operation and continues to exhaust the
oxygen from the lungs until vacuum
of four inches OF water gauge is
reached. The oxygen used for creating
this partial vacuum elongates the Sec
Ond accordion bellows and changes the
position Of the valves allowing the
oxygen again to be forced into the
lungs, etc. A lever enables the inflow
and outflow Of oxygen to be regulated
by hand, independent of the automatic
device.
The application Of this device neces-
states placing the subject on his back,
In which position the tongue may fall
10 the back part of the throat, allowing
the soft palate to close the larynx. TO
overcome this condition flexible rub
Der tube is attached to the upper part
Of the face mask, which will admit Of
grasping tho tongue with a pair of for
ceps and withdrawing 1t sufficiently to
raise the soft palate.
Another type OF mask is one which
fits over the nose and nostrils only,
allowing the mouth to be free. With
the use of this nose mask the tongue
may be withdrawn and held between
the teeth and lips with sufficient pres
sure to hold 1t IN place and make the
mouth alright. For the successful use
Of the apparatus 1t is necessary that an
alright fit be made with the type Of
mask used.
Attached TO the lid Of the puImotor
pUx is an lIl1dldIiOn QeVlCe which may
be substituted for the pulmotor as soon
as the subject under treatment recov-
ers the involuntary action of the lungs.
This inhalation device Is fitted with a
rubber bag which holds two liters of
oxygen when inflated and a metallic
mask which fits over the mouth and
nose and which may be held in place
with rubber band passing around the
head
A lever at the hinged end Of the box
has enameled inscriptions 'plumotor''
and inhalation" The name exposed
indicates the manner in which the ap-
paratus viii operate inhalation or pull
motor.
To demonstrate the pulmotor action
of the device there Is provided a rub
Der bag and disc whic,N may be at
tached to the face mask. The rubber
bag when so fitted, represents the
lungs Of subject being treated
The whole device when packed in it's
box is about the size of a small suit
case.