be taken that it be not bruifed, nor fhaken violently, nor roughly handled, nor carried over any one's shoulders with the head hanging downwards, nor rolled upon the ground, or over a barrel, nor lifted up by the heels; for experience proves, that all thefe methods may be injurious, and often destroy the fmall remains of life. The unfortunate object fhould be cautiously conveyed by two or more perfons, or in a carriage upon ftraw, lying as on a bed with the head a little raised, and kept in as natural and eafy a pofition as poffible.

II. The body being well dried with a cloth, should be placed in a moderate degree of heat, but not too near a large fire. The windows or door of the room fhould be left open, and no more perfons be admitted into it than those who are abfolutely neceffary; as the life of the patient greatly depends upon their having the benefit of a pure air. The warmth moft promifing of fuccefs is that of a bed or blanket, properly warmed. Bottles of hot water fhould be laid at the bottoms of the feet, in the joints of the knees, and under the armpits; and a warming-pan, moderately heated, or hot bricks wrapped in cloths, fhould be rubbed over the body, and particularly along the back. The natural and kindly warmth of a healthy perfon lying by the fide of the body, has been found in many cafes very efficacious. The thirt or clothes of an attendant, or the fkin of a fheep fresh killed, may alfo be ufed with advantage. Should thefe accidents happen in the neighbourhood of a warm bath, brew-houfe, baker, glafs-houfe, faltern, foap-boiler, or any fabrick where warm lees,

afhes, embers, grains, fand, water, &c. are easily procured, it would be of the utmost fervice to place the body in any of thefe moderated to a degree of heat but very little exceeding that of a healthy perfon.

III. The fubject being placed in one or other of thefe advantageous circumftances as fpeedily as poffible, various ftimulating methods fhould next be employed. The moft efficacious are,-to blow with force into the lungs, by applying the mouth to that of the patient, clofing his noftrils with one hand, and gently expelling the air again by preffing the cheft with the other, imitating the ftrong breathing of a healthy perfon.The medium of a handkerchief or cloth may be used to render the operation less indelicate.--Whilft one affistant is conftantly employed in this ope. ration, another fhould throw the fmoke of tobacco up by the fundament into the bowels, by means of a pipe or fumigator, fuch as are ufed in adminiftering tobacco clyfters: a pair of bellows may be ufed until the others can be procured. A third attendant fhould, in the mean time, rub the belly, cheft, back, and arms, with a coarse cloth or flannel dipped in brandy, rum, gin, or with dry falt, fo as not to rub off the fkin: fpirits of hartfhorn, volatile falts, or any other ftimulating fubftance, muft alfo be applied to the noftrils, and rubbed upon the temples very frequently. The body fhould at intervals be thaken also, and varied in its pofition.

IV. If there be any figns of returning life, fuch as tighing, gaping, twitching, or any convalüve motions, beating of the heart, the

return

return of the natural colour and warmth; opening a vein in the arm or neck may prove beneficial, but the quantity of blood taken away fhould not be large; nor fhould an artery ever be opened, as profufe bleeding has appeared prejudicial, and even deftructive to the fmall remains of life. The throat fhould be tickled with a feather, in order to excite a propenfity to vomit; and the noftrils alfo with a feather, fnuff, or any other ftimulant, fo as to provoke fneezings. A tea-fpoonful of warm water may be adminiftered now and then, in order to learn whether the power of fwallowing be returned: and if it be, a table-fpoonful of warmed wine, or brandy and water, may be given with advantage; but not before, as the liquor might get into the lungs before the power of fwallowing returns. The other methods should be continued with vigour, until the patient be gradually restored.

Where the patient has lain but a fhort time fenfelefs, blowing into the lungs or bowels has been, in fome cafes, found fufficient: yet a Speedy recovery is not to be expected in general. On the contrary, the above methods are to be continued with spirit for two hours, or upwards, although there fhould not be the leaft fymptoms of returning life. The vulgar notion, that a perfon will recover in a few minutes, or not at all; and the ignorant foolish cuftom of ridiculing those who are willing to perfevere,

as if they were attempting impoffi bilities, has moft certainly caufed the death of many who might otherwife have been faved.

Moft of the above rules are happily of fuch a nature, that they may be begun immediately, and that by perfons who are not acquainted with the medical art; yet it is always adviseable to seek the aflistance of fome regular practitioner as foon as poffible; not only as bleeding is proper, and fometimes neceffary; but as it is to be prefumed that fuch a one will be more skilful and expert, and better able to vary the methods of procedure as circumftances may require.

The Society think it proper to observe, that these means of restoration are applicable to various other cafes of apparent deaths, (fee the cafes mentioned in the title of this article). And they hope that fome perfons of influence in the parts where fuch accidents moftly happen, will form a fimilar inftitution for the recovery of the unhappy victims.

The Society have been as circumftantial as poffible in the above directions, that if one conveniency fhould be wanting, the attendants may not be at a lofs for others.

mode of treatment generally known, fifteen perfons more, befides thofe mentioned in the foregoing lift, have been reftored to life by medical gentlemen, who have been fo kind as to communicate the particulars to the Society; and that among fuch perfons were fome apparently dead by fuffocation. The reafon for thefe fifteen cafes not being in the foregoing lift, is the Society's not having paid any reward for the treatment of them; either, because no reward was required; or because the cafe lay, in point of place, or with regard to its nature, beyond the bounds, to which the narrowness of their funds had unhappily obliged them to confine themselves. The particulars, however, of many of thefe cafes have been already published by the Society, and the reft will probably appear before this volume. The title of the pamphlet containing them is," Plan and Reports of the Society, &c." This pamphlet may be had at all the bookfellers; the profits arifing from the fale of it, are all applied to promote the benevolent designs of the Society; and moreover the price of it is exceedingly moderate, though it abounds with the moft rational entertainment. Of this the reader will find a most convincing proof in the three following cafes: the first of which is the fixth in the foregoing lift, and the feventh in the Society's publication for the year 1774; the fecond is not in the lift, as the Society paid no reward on the occafion; but it is in the faid publication, No. IX. The third cafe is in none of the pieces yet published by the Society, but perfectly authentic, as being communicated by Mr. Hawes. The re

markable fuccefs of electricity in treating the fecond will, we apprehend, render it particulariy agreeable to our philofophical readers. We fhall give all these cafes (with the Society's reflections upon the two first) in the writers' own words.

CASE communicated to Mr. Rich, Secretary to the Society, by Mr. Smith of Limehoufe, one of the Medical Affifants.

SIR, Oct. 31, 1774I have the pleafure to inform you, that I was yesterday inftrumental in faving the life of a perfon who was in a moft critical fituation, by falling into the river Thames. The cafe was as follows:

Nicholas Groome, aged 25 years, whofe mother keeps a public houfe (the fign of the Red Lion and Still) in Drury-lane, went yesterday with two of his acquaintances to fee a friend on board the Ashley, Capt. Crifp, an homewardbound Welt Indianan, lying off Limehoufe hole, a three maft veffel. He infifted upon climbing up the fore-malt, notwithstanding the earnest remonftrances of his friends. When he was up to the fore-top maft-head, fuppofed to be at the height of fixty feet from the water, he fell, firft upon the round. top, from thence on the gunwale of the fhip, and then into the river. It wanted about an hour and half to low water. The hip was on the outfide of a tier; fome lighters were alfo ahead of her. He funk under one of thefe, and arose between two others on the fide next to the adja.ent fhip, with his face under the water, and his back up. wards. A Dane belonging to the fhip which lay on the inside of the Ashley, and a Black, cook of the

fame

fame thip, perceiving the accident, immediately flid down the cables to the affiftance of the unfortunate man. The Dane first laid hold of the skirt of his coat, and the Black foon after feized his hand. They held him in this manner until two watermen, William Blackett and Richard Arrowfmith, of St. Catharine's, paffing that way, came to their affiftance. They got him into a boat, and immediately conveyed him to land; there was neither fenfe nor motion in him. He was fix or eight minutes under the

water.

I was immediately fent for, and happened fortunately to be in the way. When I arrived, they had already got the patient into a public houfe at Limehoufe, the fign of the Horns, kept by Mr. John Horfley, who received him with great humanity, and afforded him every affiftance in his power, after admittance had been refused into another houfe. I found him placed before the fire, void of fenfe, or perceptible refpiration. There was no pulfe at the wrifts or temples, nor any beating of the heart. The attendants were already rub bing him with dry falt; I continued the friction; and in a few minutes he fhewed fome figns of life. I ordered the remainder of his wet clothes to be immediately taken off, and the body to be placed in bed, and rubbed well with hot flannels. In about a quarter of an hour more he attempted to fpeak, and the pulfe was plainly to be felt at the wrift. I bled him directly, taking away about eight ounces of blood. Soon after he was made to fwallow, though with fome difficulty, a little warm brandy. and water.

I then particularly examined his head, and found a large lacerated wound on the right fide, near three inches long, which I dreffed. Covering him warm, and giving proper directions to the affiftants, I left him. In two hours I returned, and found him much recovered.

The next morning he was fo well, as to be able to go home with his mother in a coach, who hearing of his misfortune had come down, and attended him the preceding night.

I fhould obferve that, in the night after the accident, he bled from the wound on the head thro' all the dreffings and cloths. I did not few up the wound, though large, the fcalp being fo much lacerated that in all probability it would have inflamed.

As foon as he became fenfible, he complained of violent pains in his back, legs, and arms; one leg was bruifed in the fall, and was confiderably fwoln the next morning.

The perfons who took up the body, and affifted in the recovery, as alfo the publican who received him into his houfe, deferve great commendation for their behaviour; and I doubt not they will meet with the encouragement they merit for their diligence.-With fincere refpects, and with hearty wishes for the fuccefs of fo refpectable and deferving a Society, I have the honour to be, Sir, &c.

RICHARD SMITH.'

Although this account, given us by Mr. Smith, is perfectly fatisfactory as to the fact itself, and to the moft material circumftances of which he was witnefs; yet curiofity prompted us to enquire into the

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