The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1912-06-19
RESTORES LIFE
TO DEAD BODIES
After They Have Ceased
To Breathe.
A SIMPLE METHOD EMPLOYED
BY a Noted Scientist Is DeS-
tined To Save Many
Human Lives.
MUST BE PROMPTLY APPLIED

DR.. Samuel j. Meltzer, OF the
Rockefeller Institute for Medical
Research, in the course of recent
experiments to discover a success
full method of artificial respiration,
restored to life two animals which
he had caused to be put to death
| and which were dead in the COM
mon acceptance of the term. Both
recovered entirely. He believes the
method to be equally applicable to
man, and urges that it be tried in
| all cases of death: for ii is quite
possible, he asserts, that in cases
of death from acute illness, the ac-
tual cause of death might be only
of temporary nature.
This laboratory worker, whose
reputation is international, is
| known to scientists as an extremely
conservative man. His positive
statements, therefore. regarding the
results of his latest discovery, have
created a stir in scientific circles.
Briefly, the method consists of
! the introduction of a catheter into
the pharynx, pulling out of the
! tongue against the roof of the
mouth by pressure applied far. hack
under the chin, putting a weight on
| the abdomen to keep air from be-
ing forced into the stomach, con-
Meeting the catheter with bel
lows, and pumping air into the
lungs. With very little instruction
the layman can learn these meth
DDS as readily as the physician. DR..
Meltzer gives this explanation of his
reasons for beginning the expert
ments which already have given
such promising results:
Serving on the Commission on
Resuscitation from Electric Shock,
appointed by the American Medical
Association. l became interested in
this problem and began to study
| its solution experimentally. | now
have reason to believe that | have
already attained very promising re-
suits. Without discussing the ques-
ton whether the method which /
have developed should and would
be recommended by the commission
as the one which promises the best
results, il seemed to me advisable
to present it early to the medical
profession.
THE method was studied and
found efficient on four species OF
animals. But its real usefulness
will be established only after stand
ing the test in its application on hu-
man beings, and the final judgment
will have to come from the physi-
clan and not from the experimenter
in the laboratory"
The commission referred to by
DR.. Metzler was appointed to find a
better means of saving life in fac
tories and other industrial plants
when artificial respiration was the
required procedure. Its purposes
were described fully when the or
ganization was perfected early in
the present year.
The majority of DR.. Me1tzer's eX-
periments were carried on with an
finals in which respiration had been
paralyzed by means of poison
named curare. Here are some OF
his general remarks concerning the
experiments emitting, however, the
details:
THE methods have been devel-
oped, and sufficiently tested by eX-
perimentation on four species of
animals-dogs, cats. rabbits and
two monkeys. The most extensive
series of experiments were carried
out on dogs and cats. Since the
chief object of this study was to
find a method of providing efficient
artificial respiration, it was best to
study the efficiency of the methods
on animals in which the normal re-
spiration was completely abolished,
while other functions were but lit.
tie impaired.
The experiments were therefore |
carried out chiefly on curarized ami
mails, all of which received NOR
phine and some receiving also eth !
err. Without entering on details, /
may state here, briefly, that in all
animals, without exception, either
of the two methods was all SUM-
cient to keep up the lives of COM
pletely curarized animals for many
hours in a perfectly normal man
ner.
I'm a good many experiments the
thorax was widely opened trans
versely and the heart freely expos
ed. No shock was observed in any
case. In several instances the arti-
fetal respiration was discontinued
InuC a from aiv IN .avo- |