APPENDIX A.
DIRECTIONS FOR RESTORING THE APPARENTLY DEAD FROM DROWNING.
(Reprinted by permission from the Directions issued by the Royal Humane Society.)
As soon as the body is taken out of the water, lay it on the ground, wipe it dry, and let the wind blow freely upon the surface. With this view, on no account let people crowd round the body.
The points to aim at are—first, and immediately, the RESTORATION OF BREATHING; and secondly, after breathing is restored, the PROMOTION OF WARMTH AND CIRCULATION.
Treatment to Restore Natural Breathing.
Rule 1.—To maintain a Free Entrance of Air into the Windpipe.—Cleanse the mouth and nostrils;[3] open the mouth; draw forward the patient's tongue, and keep it forward; an elastic band over the tongue and under the chin will answer this purpose. Remove all tight clothing from about the neck and chest.
Rule 2.—To adjust the Patient's Position.—Place the patient on his back on a flat surface, inclined a little from the feet upwards; raise and support the head and shoulders on a small firm cushion or folded article of dress placed under the shoulder blades.
Rule 3.—To imitate the Movements of Breathing.—Grasp the patient's arms just above the elbows; and draw the arms gently and steadily upwards, till they meet above the head (this is for the purpose of drawing air into the lungs), and keep the arms in that position for two seconds. Then turn down the patient's arms, and press them gently and firmly for two seconds against the sides of the chest. See Engravings I. and II. (This is with the object of pressing air out of the lungs. Pressure on the breastbone will aid this.)
Repeat these measures alternately, deliberately, and perseveringly, fifteen times in a minute, until a spontaneous effort to respire is perceived, immediately upon which, cease to imitate the movements of breathing, and proceed to Induce Circulation and Warmth (as below).