VENTILATION 333 



be had at once to a physician. In one method of asphyxiation, 

 however, namely drowning, it often becomes necessary to apply 

 remedies before the attendance' of the physician can be secured. 

 Owing to this fact, and because the methods illustrate the typical 

 process, the next paragraph is devoted to consideration of such 

 remedies. 



Artificial respiration. — When a person has become unconscious 

 from immersion in water, or is in a partly drowned state, it is often 

 possible to imitate respiratory movements, and thus restore normal 

 breathing and life. All such methods depend upon what is called 

 artificial respiration. One of the simplest methods of the arti- 

 ficial breathing remedies is as follows: Remove all the clothing 

 from the upper part of the body and turn the patient upon his 

 face, place a roll of cloth under the pit of the stomach and then 

 press down hard upon the back in order to force the contents of 

 the stomach out of the mouth. Now turn the body on its back 

 and set up artificial breathing movements by first grasping the 

 arms above the elbows and raising them above the head. Next 

 lower them gently to the sides, at the same time pressing the chest 

 to expel the air and water in the lungs. Repeat these movements 

 regularly about fifteen times to the minute. See that the tongue 

 is well drawn out while this is going on. The first symptoms of 

 life will show in a faint, pink color under the finger nails and in 

 the lips. Continue these artificial breathing movements until the 

 body takes them up automatically and regularly. 



The action involved in these operations depends upon the fact 

 that in raising and lowering the arms the chest walls are made to 

 move in the same manner as in normal breathing, and gradually 

 the muscles which control these movements take up their functions 

 again and the patient is restored. The pulling forward of the 

 tongue opens the larynx and stimulates the nerves which control 

 the respiratory movements. 



The above method is only one of many for the restoration of 

 partially asphyxiated victims. All methods depend upon the 

 forcing of air in and out of the lungs until the exhausted muscles 

 are restored to their normal activity. 



Ventilation. — Since the lungs are constantly exchanging large 

 quantities of carbon dioxide laden air for oxygen, it is evidently 



