Drowning

Attend to the following essential rules: 1. Lose no time.

2. Handle the body gently. 3. Carry the body face downwards, with the

head gently raised, and never hold it up by the feet. 4. Send for

medical assistance immediately, and in the meantime act as follows: 5.

Strip the body; rub it dry, then wrap it in hot blankets, and place it

in a warm bed in a warm room. 6. Cleanse away the froth and mucous from

the nose and m uth. 7. Apply warm bricks, bottles, bags of sand, etc.,

to the arm pits, between the thighs, and to the soles of the feet. 8.

Rub the surface of the body with the hands inclosed in warm, dry

worsted socks. 9. If possible, put the body into a warm bath. 10. To

restore breathing, put the pipe of a common bellows into one nostril,

carefully closing the other, and the mouth; at the same time drawing

downwards, and pushing gently backwards, the upper part of the

windpipe, to allow a more free admission of air; blow the bellows

gently, in order to inflate the lungs, till the breast is raised a

little; then set the mouth and nostrils free, and press gently on the

chest; repeat this until signs of life appear. The body should be

covered from the moment it is placed on the table, except the face, and

all the rubbing carried on under the sheet or blanket. When they can be

obtained, a number of tiles or bricks should be made tolerably hot in

the fire, laid in a row on the table, covered with a blanket, and the

body placed in such a manner on them that their heat may enter the

spine. When the patient revives, apply smelling-salts to the nose, give

warm wine or brandy and water. Cautions.--1. Never rub the body with

salt or spirits. 2. Never roll the body on casks. 3. Continue the

remedies for twelve hours without ceasing.