126 Suspended Animation hy Drowning. 



Secondly, because one remedy was made use of which I 

 have not found in authors upon this subject. — And thirdly, 

 because I think electricity which is disapproved of by most 

 authors, and more from theory than experience was used 

 in this case with obvious advantage. The remedy to which I 

 refer as the one not mentioned by authors, is Tincture of 

 Cantharides in form of injection. This however having 

 been applied at the same time with remedies that are re- 

 commended by writers in general, renders it utterly impos- 

 sible to determine whether it had any effect in the case or 

 not. Yet this certainly is the fact that it was followed by 

 no ill consequence, but on the contrary with the recovery of 

 the patient ; the sole thing aimed at in the administration of 

 any medicine. 



The principle of life appears, in cases of drowning, not 

 to be entirely extinguished, but to be merely suspended/or 

 a certain length of time. And it is capable, if proper means 

 be employed within that length of time, of being again ex- 

 cited to action. How long after drowning, this principle re- 

 mains in a state of mere suspension we knew not, nor in- 

 deed in any case of suspended animation, are we absolutely 

 sure of death, until symptoms of putrefaction make their ap- 

 pearance. This then implies that in every case where 

 these symptoms are not present, we should immediately, 

 upon the body being found, make every possible effort to 

 restore it to life. 



The method which I am about to describe was prasticed 

 by the late Dr. Strong, of Petersburg (Va.) and although I 

 was at the time, unacquainted with medicine, still I think I 

 shall be able to state the treatment with a sufficient degree 

 of accuracy. 



I will omit the particular circumstances of the accident 

 and merely mention that six persons, of which number I 

 was one, were overset from a boat in Appomatox River. 

 Five, with difficulty, reached the shore, while the othei 

 having been caught under the boat, remained in the water. 

 We soon procured another boat, but such were the circum- 

 stances, that it was nearly, if not full half an hour before we 

 were enabled to reach the shore with the body. One was 

 immediately sent to inform the friends of the accident, 

 while the remaining four were employed in conveying the 

 body to the nearest house. Happily for the young man 



