LIFE-SAVING METHODS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 59, 12 March 1935, Page 4

LIFE-SAVING METHODS

ROTARIAN’S ADDRESS VA' UE OF BEACH PATROLS RESUSCITATION EXPLAINED ’ ’lt should first of all be explained what actually happens when a person is drowning. Death, or apparent lifelessness from drowning is due to suffocation, owing to the lack of pure air being supplied to the lungs,’’ said Rotarian K. Congreve in an address on. life-saving at the Wanganui Rotary 1 iub’s luncheon yesterday. Rotarian Congreve is a member of the executive of the Wanganui Head Centre of the Royal Life-saving Society. “When the supply of fresh, pure air to the lungs ceases, the lungs are unable fully to carry out their work of purifying the blood in circulation in the body,” the speaker continued. Rotarian Congreve explained ho-w the impure blood is again circulated to all pans of the body by means of the pumping action of the heart. This impure blood going to the brain renders it inactive and incapable of muscular control. Hence, in a short space of time the drowning person becomes insensible. “It will be thus seen that every moment is of vital importance in effecting the rescue of a drowning person. Once -he rescue has been made no must be lost in applying the methods of artificial respiration to restore natural breathing before the heart ceasfcs to function. It cannot be too strongly emphasised that immediate attention should be given to restoring breathing. Conditions have been known where resuscitation has been kept up for several hours and the breathing restored naturally. The person rescued from drowning must not be handled roughly. It is also essential that while being rescued he should net be allowed to swallow any more water than can be possibly helped. Another important fact is that the patient should, be wrapped up inorder to keep the circulation going.” Rotarian Congreve explaiued the methods of resuscitation and gave some valuable information concerning artificial respiration. He also touched upon the important work being done by beach patrols in New Zealand and elsewhere. These patrols were really essential on all ocean beaches and their objective was purely a helpful one, whereby lives could be saved. The men who carried out this work did so voluntarily, and also because of a sense of duty. They also helped bathers by finding and marking danger spots, and to an extent, having a certain amount, ot cotrol over the beaches. Incidentally, artificial respiration of the apparently drowned was first begun in England in. about the year 1760. Efforts, and more or less experiments, were made by a few keenly-interested people; but they met with no support from the public. The latter, in fact, were openly hostile, be lieving, as was the custom of the time when anything unusual was introduced, that artificial respiration was not devoid of witchery. Those interested, however, continued with their good work and from small beginnings the movement has gradually grown.