384 USE OF ARTIFICIAL EESPIRATION AND TRANSFUSION. 



blood have been much changed by the deadly gas. In such cases, 

 the only hope lies in removing the poisoned blood, and replacing 

 it by healthy. 



This does not by any means always succeed ; but occasionally 

 the recovery from impending death is almost miraculous, as in a 

 case where it was employed by Dr. Hueter {Berlin. Klin. 

 Wochensch., 1870, p. 341). The patient, who was a strong 

 young man, was living in a hotel, and one night had a fire 

 lighted in the stove of his room. Next morning he was found 

 perfectly unconscious, his iris and cornea quite insensible, and 

 his pulse small and rapid. His respiration was weak and inter- 

 mitting. Just as everthing was ready, and transfusion of blood 

 was begun, it failed altogether. JSTotwithstanding this, fresh 

 blood was allowed to stream into the patient's radial artery; 

 the poisoned blood was drawn from a vein, and respiration was 

 kept up artificially. Gradually the pulse became stronger, 

 spontaneous respiratory movements again began, and the cornea 

 became sensitive. In about five hours consciousness returned, 

 and in a few days health was completely restored. Except- 

 ing the veritable resurrection of which Legallois speaks, 

 what can be more wonderful than the recovery from impending 

 death just related ? And, if the joint use of artificial respira- 

 tion and transfusion is so successful in one case of poisoning, 

 there seems to be no reason why it should not be so in all. In 

 strychnia-poisoning, for instance, where the quantity absorbed 

 has been too great, and death is impending, notwithstanding 

 the use either of chloroform or of artificial respiration, part of 

 the poison might be removed by abstracting some of the blood 

 in which it was circulating, and fresh blood supplied. If con- 

 vulsions were occurring constantly, transfusion would be nearly 

 impossible, but they might be stopped either by much chloro- 

 form or by woorara. I have already mentioned that woorara is 

 excreted rather quickly by the kidneys ; and, consequently, 

 artificial respiration for a few hours is usually sufi&cient to 

 restore animals which have been poisoned by it. 



Let us suppose it, however, to be slowly excreted. Many 

 hours, or even days might then elapse before the whole of it 

 could be got rid of ; and the maintenance of artificial respiration 



