by kneeling by the child's side, you can easily see
the object and remove it. If they are too far back, they can be pushed
over into the throat, but parents should never attempt to remove an object
in the nose they cannot see. Sometimes causing sneezing with a feather or
pepper will expel the object.
[ACCIDENTS AND POISONS 397]
TREATMENT OF THE DROWNED, SUFFOCATED OR ELECTRICALLY SHOCKED. Accidents,
etc.--The one action of first importance in the treatment of the drowned,
the suffocated or the electrically shocked is to restore breathing. This
must be done by expelling from the lungs the poison or water which has
caused the trouble, and by establishing artificial respiration. Avoid
delay. One moment may lose or save a life.
Schaefer Method of Effecting Artificial Respiration In Case of
Drowning.--After an investigation and comparison of the different methods
of artificial respiration, Schaefer suggests one which is by far the
simplest and easiest and at the same time one of the most effective and
least injurious to the patient. In describing it he says: "It consists in
laying the subject in the prone posture, preferably on the ground, with a
thick folded garment underneath the chest and epigastrium, (region above
the stomach). The operator puts himself athwart or at the side of the
subject, facing his head (see plate) and places his hands on each side
over the lower part of the back (lowest ribs). He then slowly throws the
weight of his body forward to bear upon his own arms and this presses upon
the thorax of the subject and forces air out of the lungs. This being
effected, he gradually relaxes the pressure by bringing his own body up
again to a more erect position, but without moving his hands." These
movements should be repeated regularly at a rate of twelve to fifteen
times per minute, until normal respiration begins or until hope of its
restoration is abandoned. Some claim there is no hope of restoring
respiration after half an hour of artificial respiration. Others claim
there is a chance of saving the patient even then, and say that artificial
respiration should be kept up for two or three hours.
[398 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]
TO RESUSCITATE THE DROWNED.--First: Lose no time in recovering the body
from the water. Always try to restore life; for while ten minutes under
the water is usually the limit, still persons have been resuscitated after
being under water for thirty or forty minutes. Do not lose time by tak
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