1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



453 



the short-sighted policy persued by our Gen. Court 

 in this matter. I only hope more intelligent far- 

 mers will compose the next one ; or at any rate, 

 give as much out of the treasury of the State to ad- 

 vance one of its greatest and most important inter- 

 ests, as to a Female Medical School. I believe every 

 town has a copy of these reports. Gentlemen far- 

 mers — get them — read them. Norfolk. 

 August, 1856. 



EESTORING THE DROWNED. 



The great number of deaths from drowning 

 ■which take place at this season, will give interest 

 to the following new rules for the treatment of 

 persons rescued from the water. They are by Dr. 

 Marshall Hall, of London, perhaps the most distin- 

 guished physiologist of the present day, who has 

 investigated the subject of drowning, and estab- 

 lished new principles of treatment. He condemns 

 the rules proposed and practiced by the Royal Hu- 

 mane Society, and substitutes the following for 

 the treatment of asphyxia from drowning. 



L Send with all speed for medical aid, for ar- 

 ticles of clothing, blankets, &c. 



II. Treat the patient on the spot, in the open 

 air, exposing the face and chest freely to the breeze, 

 except in too cold weather. 



I. TO EXCITE EESPIRATIOX. 



in. Place the patient gently on the face — to 

 allow any fluids to flow from the mouth. 



IV. Then raise the patient into the sitting pos- 

 ture, and endeavor to excite respiration. 



\. By snuff, hartshorne, &c., applied to the 

 nostrils ; 



2. By irritating the throat, by a feather or the 

 finger ; 



3. By dashing hot and cold water alternate- 

 ly on the face and chest. 



If there be no success, lose no time, but 



II. TO IMITATE RESPIRATIOX. 



V. Replace the patient on his face, his arms 

 under his head, that the tongue may fall forward, 

 ^nd leave the entrance into the windpipe free, and 

 that any fluids may flow out of the mouth ; then 



1. Turn the body gradually but completely on 

 the side and a little more and then again on the 

 face, alternately (to induce inspiration and expira- 

 tion ;) 



2. When replaced, apply pressure along the 

 back and ribs, and then remove it (to induce fur- 

 ther expiration and inspiration,) and proceed as be- 

 fore; 



3. Let these measures be repeated gently, delib- 

 erately, but efficiently and perseveringly, sixteen 

 times in the minute only. 



III. TO INDUCE CIRCULATION AND VTARJITH. 



1. Continuing these measures, rub all the limbs 

 and the trunk upwards with the warm hands, 

 making_^rni pressures energetically ; 



2. Replace the wet clothes by such other cover- 

 ings, &c., as can be procured. 



IV. OMIT THE WARM BATH UNTIL RESPIRATION BE 

 RE-ESTABLISHED. 



To recapitulate — observe that 



1. If there be one fact more self-evident than 



another, it is that artificial respiration is the sine 

 qua nan in the treatment of asphixia, apnoa, or 

 sus])ended respiration. 



2. If there be one more fact established in phy- 

 siology than another, it is, that within just limits 

 a low temperature conduces to the protraction of 

 Hfe, in cases of suspended respiration, and that a 

 more elevated temperalure destroys life. 



3. Now the only mode of inducing efficient res- 

 piration artificially, at all times and under all cir- 

 cumstances, by the hands alone, is that of postural 

 manoeuvres described above. 



This measure must be adopted. 



4. The next measure is, to restore the circula- 

 tion and warmth by means of pressure firmly and 

 simultaneously applied in the course of the veins, 

 therefore, upwards. 



5. And the measure not to be adopted, because 

 it tends to extinguish life, is the warm bath with- 

 oid artificial respiration. 



The measure must be relinquished. 



These conclusions are at once the conclusions of 

 common sense and of physiological experiment. 

 On these views human life may, nay, must some- 

 times depend. 



ABOUT DIGGING WELLS. 



Editor Michigan Farmer — Dear Sir: — Some 

 time ago I thought of sending you a short article 

 on the above subject, but it had nearly escaped my 

 mind until I saw an inquiry in the last number of 

 the Farmer in reference to the best manner of 

 stopping quicksand from flowing in at the bottom 

 of a well. 



Now I am not a "well digger," but as I believe I 

 have some knowledge that way, gathered from ex- 

 perience and observation, that may be useful to 

 some, I will endeavor to relate the same for the 

 benefit of all your readers who may be interested. 



About ten years ago the coming fall, I hired two 

 young men who were engaged in the business, to 

 dig me a well on my farm, then in the town of 

 Green Oak, Livingston county. They took it by the 

 job to dig and stone and finish up right, and war- 

 rant three feet of water, for 24 dollars, provided 

 they did not have to go over forty feet. 



From the experience of the neighbors, and the 

 make of the ground, we estimated it at thirty-four 

 feet. I was to furnish stone and timber for curbing 

 necessary, on the ground. 



So they commenced, and after throwing out 

 about eight feet by hand, they set up their appara- 

 tus for raising out the rest by horse power. This 

 was constructed by simply taking a piece of plank 

 about two feet long, and two inclies wide, and set- 

 ting it up at an angle of forty-five degrees, with the 

 upper end right above the vveU, and suj)ported with 

 two heavy braces, set up at the same angle, in dif- 

 ferent directions, and secured with iron i)ins at the 

 top. Then a notch in the upper end of the plank, 

 and a pulley of about eight inches in diameter, for 

 the rope to run over, with the tub into the well, 

 and a roller at the bottom of the plank for the 

 rope to run under, completed the "machine." 



Then they had what is very necessary, a quick, 

 active horse, and well broke, to go ahead and hack 

 up at the word every time, without flinching or fal- 

 tering. 



The soil was loose sand, and they chose to curb 

 it all the way down. This was done by splitting 



