172 



BIOLOGY AND HUMAN LIFE 



In the Schaefer method of artificial respiration the patient is 

 laid face down, with the arms stretched forward beyond the 

 head. The head is turned to one side and supported on a cloth. 

 The operator kneels, straddling the subject's thighs and facing 

 his head, and places the thumbs over the small of the back and 

 the fingers over the lowest ribs. Then, by swinging forward and 



I 



Fig. 91. Silvester method of artificial respiration — contracting the chest 



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

 slowly forward and downward until they are in the position shown. Press the el- 

 bows firmly against the chest and hold them there about one second, to drive all 

 the air out' of the lungs. (Photographs and instructions, Figs. 90 and 91, from the 



United States Bureau of Mines) 



back, he alternately compresses and releases the chest at the 

 rate of from twelve to fifteen times a minute. The movements 

 should be kept up until natural breathing begins, but should not 

 be given up in less than an hour. The patient's tongue should 

 be pulled out and kept out, to prevent it from slipping back into 

 the throat and obstructing the windpipe. 



