Mr. Hunter absolutely forbids blood letting in all such cases : for as it not on ly weakens the animal principle, but les sens life itself, it must consequently, he observes, lessen both the powers and dispositions to action. For the same rea son he is against introducing any thing into the stomach that might produce sickness or vomiting : and, on the same principle, he says, we should avoid throwing tobacco fumes, or any other such articles, up by the anus, as might tend to an evacuation that way. The following is a description of instruments recommended for such operations by our author. First, a pair of Mellows, so con trived with two separate cavities,that, by opening them when applied to the nos trils or mouth of a patient, one cavity will be filled with common air, and the other with air sucked out from the lungs, and by shutting them again, the common air will be thrown into the lungs, and that sucked out of the lungs discharged into the room. The pipe of these should he flexible ; in length a foot, or a foot and a half, and at least three eighths of an inch in width. By this the artificial breathing may be continued while the other opera tions, the application of the stimuli to the stomach excepted, are going on, which could not be conveniently done, if the muzzle of the bellows were introducced into the nose. The end next the nose should be double, and applied to both nostrils. Secondly, A syringe, with a hollow bougie, or flexible catheter, of sufficient length to go into the stomach, and convey any stimulating matter into it, withdut affecting the lungs. Thirdly, A pair of small bellows, such as are com monly used in throwing fumes of tobacco up by the anus.
Within these few years great numbers of drowned people have been restored to life by a proper use of the remedies we have enumerated, and societies for the recovery of drowned persons have been instituted in different places. The first society of this kind was instituted in Holland,wh e re, from the great abundance of canals and inland seas, the inhabitants are particularly exposed to accidents by water. In a very few years 150 persons were saved from death by this society ; and many of these had continued upwards of an hour without any signs of lite, after they had been taken out of the water. The society was instituted at Amster dam in 1767, and, by an advertisement, informed the inhabitants of the United Provinces of the methods proper to be used on such occasions ; offering rewards at the same time to those who should, with or without success, use those me thods for recovering persons drowned, and seemingly dead. The laudable and humane example of the Dutch was follow ed, in the year 1768, by the magistrates of health in Milan and Venice ; afterwards by the magistrates of Hamburg, in the year 1771: by those of Paris, in the year 1772 ; and by the magistrates of London in 1774.
The following directions are given for the recovery of drowned persons by the society at London : 1. As soon as the pa tient is taken out of the water, the wet clothes, if the person is not naked at the time of the accident, should be taken off with all possible expedition on the spot, (unless some convenient house be very near,) and a great coat or two, or some blankets, if convenient, should be Wrap ped round the body. 2. The patient is to be thus carefully conveyed in the arms of three or four men, or on a bier, to the nearest public or other house, where a good fire, if in the winter season, and a warm bed, can be made ready for its re ception. As the body is conveying to this place, a great attention is to be paid to the position of the head ; it must be kept supported in a natural and easy posture, not suffered to hang down. 3. In cold or moist weather the patient is.
tube laid on a mattrass or bed before the fire, but not too near, or in a moderately heated room ; in warm and sultry weather on a bed only. The body is then to be wrapped as expeditiously as possible with a blanket, and thoroughly dried with warm coarse cloths or flannels. 4. In
summer or sultry weather, too much air cannot be admitted. For this reason it will be necessary to set open the win dows and doors, as cool refreshing air is of the greatest importance in the process of resuscitation. 5. Not more than six persons are to be present to apply the proper means ; a greater number will be useless, and may retard, or totally pre vent, the restoration of life, by rendering the air of the apartment unwholesome. It will be necessary, therefore, to request the absence of those who attend merely from motives of curiosity. 6. It will be proper for one of the assistants, with a pair of bellows of the common size, ap . plying the pipe a little way up one nos tril, to blow with some force, in order to introduce air into the lungs ; at the same time the other nostril and the mouth are to be closed by another assistant, whilst a third person gently presses the chest with his hands, after the lungs are Observed to be inflated. By pursuing this process, the noxious and stagnant vapours will be expelled, and natural breathing imitated. If the pipe of the bellows be too large, the air may be blown in at the mouth, the nostrils at the same time being clos ed, so that it may not escape that way but the lungs are more easily filled, and natural breathing better imitated, by blowing up the nostril. 7. Let the body be gently rubbed with common salt, or with flannels sprinkled with spirits, as rum or geneva. A warming pan heated (the body being surrounded with flan nel) may be lightly moved up and down the back. Fomentations of hot brandy are to be applied to the pit of the sto mach, loins, &c., and often renewed. Bottles filled with hot water, heated tiles covered with flannel, or hot bricks, may be efficaciously applied to the soles of the feet, palms of the hands, and other parts of the body. The temples may be rubbed with spirits of hartshorn, and the nostrils now and then tickled with a fea ther; and snuff; or eau de lure, should be occasionally applied. 8. Tobacco fumes should be thrown up the fundament : if a fumigator be not at hand, the common pipe may answer the purpose. The ope ration should be frequently performed, as it is of importance ; for the good ef fects of this process have been experien ced in a variety of instances of suspended animation. But should the application of tobacco smoke in this way be not imme diately convenient, or other impediments arise, clysters of this herb, or other acrid infusions with salt, &c. may be thrown up with advantage. .9. When these means have been employed a considerable time without success, and any brewhouse or warm bath can be readily obtained, the body should be carefully conveyed to such a place, and remain in the bath, or surrounded with warm grains, for three or four hours. If a child has been drown ed, its body should be wiped perfectly dry, and immediately placed in a bed be tween two healthy persons. The saluta ry effects of the natural vital warmth, conveyed in this manner, have been prov ed in a variety of successful cases. 10. While the various methods of treatment are employed, the body is to be well shaken every ten minutes, in order to render the process of animation more certainly successful; and children, in par titular, are to be much agitated, by tak ing hold of their legs and arms frequent ly, and for a continuance of time. In va rious instances, agitation has forwarded the recovery of boys who have been drowned, and continued for a considera ble time apparently dead. 11. If there be any signs of returning life, such as sighing,gasping, or convulsive motions, a spoonful of any warm liquid may be administered ; and if the act of swal lowing is returned, then a cordial in warm brandy or wine may be given in small quantities, and frequently repeat ed.