*feVEMBER 6, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



663 



ations of matter. The problem of matter was 

 not solved before that of electricity was under- 

 taken. Indeed, through the study of this vari- 

 ation in matter we came to appreciate that in 

 it lay the path to the understanding of the 

 atom. Will this experience now be repeated? 

 Will a variation in the electron, not accounted 

 for by electrical laws, be found, and will an in- 

 vestigation of that phenomenon lead to 

 knowledge of the electi'on and thus of the 

 atom? 



I now desire to direct the attention of the 

 younger members of the Society to two sig- 

 nificant points that are illustrated by the ma- 

 terial in this lecture. The first is that a 

 problem may be too difficult for a direct at- 

 tack, and one may need to await discoveries 

 which furnish new and unsuspected clues. 

 Eontgen rays were not discovered for the pur- 

 pose of studying atomic structure. Neither 

 was such a purpose the cause of experiments 

 which led to the discovery of radioactivity. 

 Thus the scientific worker can never know 

 the future importance of his own work. His 

 motive should be to follow up the most prom- 

 ising clues with which he is favored and to 

 trust that all he accomplishes will be worthy 

 ef his effort. 



The second point is suggested by the fact 

 that most of the methods of attack here men- 

 tioned are comparatively new and probably 

 will never become part of laboratory tech- 

 nique taught in a university curriculum. 

 Method in scientific research is fundamentally 

 not a thing to be learned by graduate or re- 

 search students. For scientific research is 

 nothing more than the successive application 

 of complete acts of thought to experimental 

 and theoretical problems. One needs but to 

 think and to act. 



G. W. Stewart 



State University of Iowa 



METSOBS OF BESUSCITATION 

 . In line with its campaign to reduce the 

 number of deaths in the mines of the IJnited 

 States, the Federal Bureau of Mines some 

 time ago appointed a committee of eminent 

 physicians and surgeons to develop an effi- 



cient method of resuscitation to be adminis- 

 tered by miners or other persons to a fellow- 

 workman overcome by electric shock or by 

 gases in places which can not be reached by a 

 physician or surgeon in time to save life. 



As a result of this committee's report just 

 made, the Bureau of Mines, through Directoi 

 Joseph A. Holmes, recommends the following 

 procedure in rendering first aid to those in 

 need of artificial respiration. 



The recommendations apply not only to men 

 who are overcome by electric shock or gases 

 in mines, but also to persons suffering from 

 the effects of illuminating-gas poisoning oi 

 from electric shock anywhere. The recom- 

 mendations are, therefore, of importance to 

 many thousands of workmen: 



In case of gas poisoning, remove victim at 

 once from the gaseous atmosphere. Carry him 

 quickly to fresh air and immediately give 

 manual artificial respiration. Do not stop to 

 loosen clothing. Every moment of delay is 

 serious. 



In case of electric shock, break electric cur- 

 rent instantly. Free the patient from the 

 current with a single quick motion, using any 

 dry non-conductor, such as clothing, rope, or 

 board, to move patient or wire. Beware of 

 using any metal or moist material. Mean- 

 time have every effort made to shut off current. 



Attend instantly to the victim's breathing. 

 If the victim is not breathing, he should be 

 given manual artificial respiration at once. 



If the patient is breathing slowly and reg- 

 ularly, do not give artificial respiration, but 

 let nature restore breathing unaided. 



In gas cases, give oxygen. If the patient 

 has been a victim of gas, give him pure 

 oxygen, with manual artificial respiration. 



The oxygen may be given through a breath- 

 ing bag from a cylinder having a reducing 

 valve, with connecting tubes and face mask, 

 and with anr inspiratory and an expiratory 

 valve, of which the latter communicates di- 

 rectly with the atmosphere. 



No mechanical artificial resuscitating device 

 should be used unless one operated by hand 

 that has no suction effect on the lungs. 



Use the Schaefer or prone pressure method 



