FIRST AID IN RELATION TO BREATHING 171 



Under the supervision of the United States Bureau of 

 Mines squads of miners are instructed in the resuscitation 

 of people who become asphyxiated by gases or by electric 

 shock. This bureau conducted a series of experiments to 

 determine which of the mechanical resuscitating devices was 



Fig. 60. Silvester method of artificial respiration, — contracting the chest 



After the arms have been held above the head about one second, push the elbows slowly for- 

 ward and downward until they are in the position shown. Press the elbows firmly against 

 the chest and hold them there about one second, to drive all the air out of the lungs. 

 (Photographs and instructions, Figs. 59 and 60, from United States Bureau of Mines) 



best for various purposes. It was found that more reliance 

 could be placed on quick action by men who understood how 

 to establish respiration than on most of the machines, and 

 it is always safer to begin work by hand than to wait for the 

 best machine. One of the devices is illustrated in Fig. 6i. 



202. Summary on breathing and ventilation. Since we carry 

 on our breathing without needing to think about it, most 

 people have given very little attention to the subject of air and 



