How To Save Life

Several nionths since the writer published a letter ia odc of the city dailies on the restoration of persons apparently dead from drowning. It represented that in all the directions and metliodsot procedure he had ever seco in publio prints and medical works, the ni st, natural, effective aud scientific proceps had never been presentcd. This neglected niethod was the rubbing of' the extremitied upward, or toward the center. For uionths af'terward we received Communications from strangers thanking us for the idea, and giving tostimony to its undoubted value. The reafon for this upward niotion to secure reaction is patent to every physician and phjsiologist, and it is one of the wonders of modern science that it is only at this late day, and from this obscure source, the infortnation comes. All outgoing or arterial circulation (pure, or red, blood) is within the muscular sjetem, so covered from obeeryation and protected from danger that only in fóur or five places in the entire body can it bc detected, to say nothing of being influenced by outward action. On the other hand, the inward flow, or pure ("blue") blood; seeking tho heart and lungs for purification, is in the main, on the outside of the muscular system, ascending, not by throbs of heart prest-ure, but Dy steady flow. These are tbe veins visible over the limbs. To u.-t this most plainly, grasp the wrist by one hand, and witness how the ascending blood will crown the veins of the other hand, while above the stricture the arm is bloodless. Now coumon sense would díctate that to carry tbe tightcned grasp downwurd would tend to force this poionous current backward, into the capillaries, destroy ciiculation, and produce "varicosis." But physiology goes fiïrther than common sene. It eays that to rub these veins downward not only visibly stops the circulation, but invisably breaks down number loss Ktlves placed in the veins to prevent sui-h rétersal or tho current ! It also saya that, whereas the veinous upward current is maintained by suction of the opening heart ventricle, such detention of the flow actually deadens the heart's action and tends to stasis and death. We firinly believe tnat a person could be killed in a short tiuie t'V viii mui.ly rubbiDg liuwnwiird all the litnls. Henee, in case of asphyxia or synco.e, yigérou upward rulibing hould be immediately and vigorously (violently) uii!üij ti) all liniLtH. The eftect woujd bc what ? Just as it would in phytics outaido the body. 1. It would force blood into the empiy ventricle of' the lieart. 2. It wculd driw t.lood froui the eapillaiies, ai.d he;;ce from the distended vent riele and the dusconding arUrial systein. And the re.sult would be a renewtl of cieculation - a sigh, a gasp, a relief' - the involuntary systeiu takes up it fuiiclion, not priiuarüy, hut of nece-aity. Let f'emnles who have lif'ied their " blood-heavy " limbs whon subject to uitrinedi.-plaeements iry this, and when "the ffih, the gasp, the relief' cotne they will duplícate a picture f' satisfaction we have si-en iLuny a tinjfe. Surprised by the nutnt er of people who had noiieed the note written ti) the papers bötbre, motuhs atterward we pentied a lew obsLTvation-, on the same topic, with thu placed above ihis art ele. But Enífbre it was -ent the nation was itarüed Ly the suddtn deaili of' Senator Cliand'er. ilu w:is ininicdialely placed in an ice chest. [inwilling ti trtad on round where niourners ttiod, with dieadf'ul tears of' ioiproper treatmont of' the body, the subject was duipped. Uut it is time peuple were art used upou ll)i ïuatter of the ice chest. Tliere n vi.-r yet was a ceuietery exhumed without discovering with horror and disniay that the awf'ul conflict with death had transpired in thecoffia! The number of these terrible uiistakts have uiorti than once awakened the wurld to greater effort to distinguish between real aud apparent dealh. Governments liave encouiaged investigation. But still new discoveries are inado which si.:ken us with the possibilitics iu the vast burial grounds which are never examined. For tbis reason, therefore, we cry agsinst the habit of placing even a cold body in the ice chest until absolute decay supervoDes, and every effort to resuscitate is tried. It will be understood that tbis is not applied to cases of chronic or necessarily fatal diseases, but to sudden deaths. The number of "hparf rli.onaoo" nf ■ f.,..! and unexpected character are frequent. Lot no victim be left to the undertakor until he has been rubbed thoroughly, rapidly, continuaüy, by relays, on every linib, ii, a .;■. Motiona of the chest should also be induced, as by hard pressure on the .Nde8 with feudden reuioval. Remoml of blood, by a little cut in a vein, bas been knowu to restore from syncope. Why? Because it set in motion the faintest current, and it grew in strenth. Ño "ice chest would ever hold the remains of one I loved until I knew that restoration was impossible. This is a day when "life" is botter understood than of yore, and we thould act on the understanding. Never apply a downward stroke to the hinbs.