Effect of Lightning.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1888, 16 April 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

Effect of Lightning.

Numerous Deaths Occurring in All! Parts of the World-

Carious rvD.<:l A^rjrins Froalxs of TMs

Su-liro aaJ X7ao3;p2cio-1 Agent of 55631:"!.3Vi03 — A. P^ysiciaa's

Th<i irsjorlcy of <kr.:!is from lightning era-. 5 in tba ltrtl, aytn country, tieta, v::>:--:;o>i aai t'lkfi/ buiii-up towns and c ti-.', by ihsir pr^jec:sond mto tha air, kenin,'.: ds coar.iicers, &?-d hereby protecting tha ii!h<iUHi.u'.a no 111 diis-ct strobe. Tne Jiwi of 'hi'i sDnt-'iily iihrc-L-phout tbe world ia very t yen. 1.. E toyman Ui-^ia from 1870 to 1077 no icoo ihti'.i 2 270 x^rson3 wers killed by thu c-.\u c c. Ia Austria during ihe same inn; 1,700 p^ens were likewise killed. Ia Pru-bi;. it id reported that seventy psi.soa3 a:o annasily kiiltd. Ten thousand pcraor.a are report" 1 .! fca having been struck fhirin;/ a period of i.iuo-aod-twenty yeara, with 2 C>2 deaths in F.v-pcp, while in the United Bs'.tcj during lt>7o alone 202 deaths from lightning wjie not d-d.

The effrcis of lightning etroUe are mo?B iatertating, curious and cppailing. The general Bjmpionas uro usually Ol BhOOk. T hers is often unacuaciouaneEfl, soraetimeß ooma, lasting from a few bears to even days ; partial or complete losa of &igbt or bearing, associated with iropjiirajeut 0! tha other ■»ei33es. The tissues may ba burrsd topers'.'ially or daepiy, tbe bones fraatcred and portions of tho hmbd torn t.ff entirely. Tae tracks of the ligbinsng on tbe BUtface cf the body may have a Juncied resemblance to tba branches of a Steo, the m&in stemfroxn whicb tha branabeg lead off rising at any portion cf the bo.'iy. Ths alun ia ihcsa tracks may be simply resrk-l ia color, elightly awe Hod or blistered, thd brauchea tapering cfl until no larger then ths scratch cf a yin. They may pass in all directions from tbo place first struck or skip about from one part to another. This is due to the condition cf the current by Shs clothing, which if wet sets acan excellent conductor.

For tha purpose ol illustrating" these cfLcts wo give th-i following case reported by a pbyajcan who wsn oa ihs epot at tha time thd arciiont occurred :

41 T:ia nurrpcii etruok tho chimney of the house and p*s«3d down tha studding ceai the windov7 to an iron hook on wbich was su-jp^nded a chain and a bird-csge, paeard frcoi this to the bead of the iany, sitting just in- ids ihe window, and beneath the capa, abovd ths Itft eyo, laidwey between tbe le?t eyebrow and hair, which wss apparently the pars nearest the oorncr of the birdcage ; parsed a!oa£ in front cf the ear, than to the osntt^l liae of tbe obe-<*. descending by the stocking supporter, whieb was attached ty the coraeta ; thence to tbo top of the stockings, leavirg marks upon both iimbs, bus rnuro cßpcciall.y up^n tho left, on the back of whic!), juas above the kiiee junt, v?ati a burn about the aizo of ogg'b hand, it bad trie frppesraEsco of in ordinary burn. and waa oily euperfisial. Hj traoa of the current could b-i detected ng4:n until the

fr.rt*; ws3 seauhed, from which it paa3ed Ifi by tV-e j)in6 of the preat top, tearing a place about t>vo inches in diameter in the 6 ouking f.».d tj'ppc-r, bat r.ot leaving tbe elighieat m,i:k upon the ekin. Witb the ezocpiion of the bjrned spot on tbe posterior part ol the left ]pg. and one or two small ourr.B on the bofy and the righli l?g, congested Jines alone marked the oourae of tbn eleotnoity ia its passage over the body. " Hi 2 condition wsa found to bo bs follows : Cbroplp.tely uscontoioaa ; naotion1:sb; mu3clea rekxed ; lefs eje olosed, right eye open ; f aca purple ; puhso at wrist imperaepvible; neither heart Boundß or respiratory sounds to be beard. As onoo artificial breathing was resorted to, and in from two to turec rninufea the first eisrn of life appeared in a movement of the left leg. The blue color faded from tbe face and the puise was fait at ths wrist, Soon a new train of symptoms set in. There waa difficult respiration. " The muous and saliva, wbiob were very abundant had gravitated back and oonid not bs swallowed beoauaa of oomplete paralysis of almost all tbe musoles of she uppermost parts of tbe body, including the arms. Tbe symptoms were those exhibited by an animal when being asphxiated ; violent rnuaoular oonti action ; difficult and forced respiration, etc. Under continued efforts consciousness returned in ihree-qußrtera oi an hour. A period of four weeks elapsed before all the senses and her general health were restored and all paralysis had disappeared. In this, do we see the effect of lightning in a pronounced degree, and there can be no doubs but that tbis per; on would bave died from the eff <3ct3 if the physicianhad not been present to at once resort to artificial or forced respiration and wrap the body to maintain tbe heat nsoesaary for life.