46 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
Table III .— Silvester Method. (Forcible traction upon the arms, 
followed by bringing of the arms back to the side of the chest 
and pressure upon the chest.) 
Number of 
Respirations. 
Amount of Air 
in Cubic Cent. 
1st minute, ..... 
13 
3,700* 
2nd ,, 
12 
2,100 
3rd ,, ..... 
13 
1,600 
4th ,, 
13 
1,700 
5th ,, 
13 
2,300 
In 5 minutes, ..... 
64 
respirations. 
11,400 c.c. 
air exchanged. 
Remarks . — The average number of respirations per minute was 
12*8, and the amount of air exchanged per respiration averaged 
178 c.c., and per minute 2280 c.c. 
The amount of physical exertion required to effect even this 
amount of air exchange was very great, and it would have been 
impossible to continue it for any length of time. Moreover, the sub- 
ject could scarcely sustain the effort not to breathe, for the amount of 
air he was receiving was quite inadequate, his natural tidal air being 
about 450 c.c. per respiration, and 5850 c.c. per minute (see Tables 
I. and II.). The subject was on the ground, with a folded coat under 
the shoulders ; the operator at his head, in a semi-kneeling posture. 
Table IV . — Supine Pressure ( Hoivard’s ) Method. (Intermittent pres- 
sure over the lower ribs, with the subject in the supine position. 
Number of 
Respirations. 
Amount of Air 
in Cubic Cent. 
1st minute, 
14 
4,000 
2nd ,, 
14 
4,100 
3rd 
14 
3,900 
4th ,, 
13 
3,500 
5th ,, ..... 
13 
4,600 
In 5 minutes, 
64 
20,100 c.c. 
respirations. 
air exchanged. 
* The relatively large amount recorded here was probably due to the lungs 
having been unusually well filled by the subject just before the experiment 
commenced. 
