Manual of popular instructions, for recovering persons apparently dead from drowning, suffocation, lightning : to which are added, remarks on the accidents incident to children and cautions, hints &c to persons exposed to the accidents and diseases for the prevention and cure of which this tract is designed / drawn up under the sanction, and with the assistance of Dr. Hawes, institutor and treasurer of the Royal Humane Society, London.

  • Hawes, William, 1736-1808.
Date:
[1806]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Manual of popular instructions, for recovering persons apparently dead from drowning, suffocation, lightning : to which are added, remarks on the accidents incident to children and cautions, hints &c to persons exposed to the accidents and diseases for the prevention and cure of which this tract is designed / drawn up under the sanction, and with the assistance of Dr. Hawes, institutor and treasurer of the Royal Humane Society, London. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    a feather dipt in spirit of hartshorn, or sharp mustard; it being found by experience, that any irritation given to the nose, has considerable influence in exciting the action of the muscles concerned in respiration. When the several means recommended above, have beeir steadily pursued for an hour or more, without any appear- ance of returning life, electricity should be tned; experi- ence having shewn it to be one of the most powerful stimu- li yet known, and capable of exciting contraction in the heart and other muscles of the body, after every other slimu- lus had ceased to produce the least effect. Moderate shocks are found to answer best, and these should, at intervals, be passed through the chest in different directions, in order, if possible, to rouse the heart to action. As soon as the shock- is given, let the lungs be emptied of the air th.,-y con- tain, and filled again with fresh air; then pass another shock,—and repeat this until the heart is brought into ac- tion. When the patient is so far recovered as to be able to' swallow, he should be put into a warm bed, with his head and shoulders somewhat raised by means of pillows. Plen- ty of warm wine, whey, ale-posset, or other light and mo- derately nourishing drink, should now be given; and gen- tle sweating promoted, by wrapping the feet and legs ire flannels well wrung out of hot water. The patient should on no account be left alone, until the senses are perfectly restored., and he be able to assist him- self; several persons having relapsed and been lost, from- want of proper attention to them, after the vital functions were, to all appearance, completely established. Either from the distension which the arteries of the lungs have sufiered, or from the sudden change from great cold- ness to considerable warmth, it now and then happens, that the patient is attacked, soon after recovery, with inflamma- tion of some of the parts within the chest. This occurrence is pointed out by pain in the breast or side, increased on inspiration, and accom])anied with frequent, and full or hard pulse, and so netimes with cough. Here the taking- away some blood from the arm, or the application of cup- ping-glasses, leeches, or a bliuer, over the seat of the pain v.'ill be very proper; but the necessity for these measures, as well as the time for putting them in practice, should bs