368 THE HUMAN BODY 



The stage of convulsions. (3) The stage of exhaustion; the con- 

 vulsions having ceased but there being from time to time an in- 

 spiration. The end of the third stage occurs in a mammal about 

 five minutes after the oxygen supply has been totally cut off. If 

 the asphyxia be due to deficiency, and not absolute want of oxy- 

 gen, of course all the stages take longer. 



Artificial Respiration. Asphyxia from drowning and other 

 causes occurs with lamentable frequency these days, and there is 

 no doubt that many lives are sacrificed through ignorance on the 

 part of bystanders of the proper restorative procedures. There 

 are several methods of applying artificial respiration to human 

 beings. The method of Schaefer is as effective as any. The follow- 

 ing description is quoted from his paper on the subject: "The 

 method consists in laying the subject in the prone posture, prefer- 

 ably on the ground, with a thick folded garment underneath the 

 chest and epigastrium. The operator puts himself athwart or at 

 the side of the subject, facing his head 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 thus 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 posi- 

 tion, but without moving the hands." These movements should 

 be repeated about fifteen times a minute until normal breathing is 

 resumed, and should not be given up for at least a half hour if re- 

 covery does not occur sooner. 



Modified Respiratory Movements. Sighing is a deep long-drawn 

 inspiration followed by a shorter but correspondingly large ex- 

 piration. Yawning is similar, but the air is mainly taken in by the 

 mouth instead of the nose, and the lower jaw is drawn down in a 

 characteristic manner. Hiccough depends upon a sudden contrac- 

 tion of the diaphragm, while the aperture of the larynx closes; the 

 entering air, drawn through the narrowing opening, causes the 

 peculiar sound. Coughing consists of a full inspiration followed by 

 a violent and rapid expiration, during the first part of which the 

 laryngeal opening is kept closed; being afterwards suddenly 

 opened, the air issues forth with a rush, tending to carry out with 

 it anything lodged in the windpipe or larynx. Sneezing is much 

 like coughing, except that, while in a cough the isthmus of the 



