The discovery of the physiological method of inducing respiration in cases of apparent death from drowning, chloroform, still-birth, noxious gases, etc., etc., / by Henry R. Silvester.

  • Silvester, Henry R.
Date:
1863
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The discovery of the physiological method of inducing respiration in cases of apparent death from drowning, chloroform, still-birth, noxious gases, etc., etc., / by Henry R. Silvester. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    as to draw up the shoulders and put the pectorals on the stretch, elevate the ribs, and consequently enlarge the cavity of the chest. The result was that the fluid in the bent tube rapidly fell, and so considerably as to recede Fig. 2.—Continuous line re- presents the ordinary state of the chest. Broken line represents the depression of the chest under pres- sure. Dotted line repre- sents the enlargement of the chest, produced by the Jorced action of the mus- cles of inspiration. The space between the conti- nuous line and the broken line indicates the extent of respiratory movements in the postural method. The space between the dotted line and the broken line indicates the extent of re- spiratory movements in my method, high up in the leg of the instru- ment nearest to the body, that is to say, the tendency to a vacuum pro- duced in the chest drew the air into the lungs. The shoulders and arms were next pressed down upon the sides of the chest, and immediately the fluid rose as much above its usual level in the further leg of the ap- paratus as it did in the foregoing ex- periments; demonstrating : Istly. That the actual capacity of the chest was increased, and air drawn into the lungs by the con- strained action of the muscles of respiration upon the moveable walls of the thorax. ; 2ndly. That.expiration was pro- duced by pressing the arms and shoulders down upon the sides of the chest. 3rdly. That the distinguishing fea- ture of my method is the actual en- largement of the cavity of the chest —the elevation of the ribs above their ordinary or natural level. It is, of course, of consequence to get as much air into the lungs as possible, because there can be but little doubt that fresh air is the proper stimulant to the respiratory efforts, just in the same way that light is to the eye and sound to the ear. The quantity of air respired, according to my experiments on the dead body, appears to be about ten
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