THE INSTITUTION OF THE Humane Society OF THE Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FROM a variety of faithful experiments, and incontestible facts, it is now considered as an established truth, that the total suspension of the vital functions in the animal body is by no means incompatible with life; and consequently, the marks of apparent death may subsist without any necessary implication of an absolute extinction of the animating principle.
The boundary line between life and death, or the distinguishing signs of the latter, are objects to which the utmost efforts of the human capacity have never yet attained. Nor can we, with any degree of certainty, pronounce, that an animal is dead, until the most unequivocal proofs of putrefaction have been furnished.
[Page 6]From these facts it might reasonably be expected, that, were proper measures to be adopted, especially in cases peculiarly doubtful, we might frequently be enabled to restore to full life, and the enjoyment of it, a beloved friend, or a valuable member of society. And indeed, numerous successful instances might be adduced in the cases of persons, who would in a few hours have been consigned to an untimely grave; and perhaps have suffered all the horrors of inevitable death, attended with a consciousness of their own terrible situation.
It is not, however, to be understood, that any process, directed to the above-mentioned purpose, can be equally applicable to all cases. For as the attempt must presuppose an entire state of the vital organs, it is obvious that those apparent deaths, which are consequent upon disease, afford, in general, little or no encouragement for such attempts. But in most cases of sudden death, the vital organs appear to have sustained but a very slight injury, and only require a seasonable excitement of the heart to renew their action.
The exquisite feelings attendant on the unexpected restoration of an affectionate friend, or an indulgent parent, a dutiful child, or an intimate companion of our bosoms, after having been suddenly torn from us, and in imagination numbered with the dead, may be more easily conceived than described. Nor is the acquisition of one deserving member of society an object unworthy the public attention.
[Page 7]Upon these considerations, societies have been formed in various parts of Europe for promoting attempts to recover persons from apparent death, especially in cases of suffocation and drowning. The Humane Society established in Great-Britain, in 1774. has been very successful. Within ten years from its institution, out of 1300 persons apparently dead from drowning, 790 have been restored to their friends and country. Many of them, no doubt, useful and valuable men.
For an institution of this nature a considerable fund is necessary. And many occasional expences will unavoidably occur. The cause of humanity, however, deserves every encouragement. And to promote that cause, it is to be hoped the benevolent will liberally subscribe.
A Society is now formed for these salutary purposes in this Commonwealth: And the following plan and arrangements are submitted to the inspection of the publick.
RULES for the regulation of a Society instituted in the town of Boston, for the recovery of persons who meet with such accidents as produce in them the appearance of death.
I. THAT the Institution shall be called The HUMANE SOCIETY of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
II. That the Society shall be governed by a number of Trustees not exceeding twelve, of whom one shall be the President, two Vice-Presidents, one Treasurer, one recording Secretary, and one corresponding Secretary.
III. That the President, or, in his absence, a Vice-President, with the major part of the Trustees, shall constitute a quorum.
IV. That the President, with the advice of the Trustees, shall be empowered to call at his pleasure a meeting of the Society, but that the Society shall indispensibly meet twice every year, namely, on the second Tuesday in December and the second Tuesday in June.
V. That each subscriber shall, in the month of December annually, pay into the hands of the Treasurer a sum not less than six shillings and eight pence.
[Page 9]VI. That such gentlemen of the faculty, as shall engage to afford their assistance towards promoting the views of the Society, shall give their medical attendance gratis.
VII. That the President and Trustees shall be annually elected by ballot on the second Tuesday in December; and that when a subscriber cannot attend such election in person, he shall be entitled to vote by proxy.
VIII. That when any accident shall happen, producing apparent death, the person who shall first discover, and endeavour to recover the subject, shall be entitled to receive from the Treasurer of the Society, a sum not exceeding forty-eight shillings, nor less than six shillings, lawful money, at the discretion of the Trustees.
IX. That the person who shall bring the first intelligence to one of the physicians of the Society of such accident as is expressed in the preceeding law, shall be entitled to receive from the Treasurer of the Society, a sum not exceeding nine shillings.
X. That any person, who shall, by a signal exertion, save another from death, shall receive from the Treasurer of the Society, a sum not exceeding thirty shillings lawful money, at the discretion of the Trustees.
XI. That the Trustees shall appoint some person to deliver a public discourse on the second tuesday of June every year, upon some subject connected with the principal objects of this Society.
[Page 10]XII. That the recording Secretary shall keep a fair copy of all the votes and proceedings of the Society, and record all such cases and communications as the Trustees shall direct.
XIII. That the corresponding Secretary shall write all letters relating to the business of the Society▪ and shall answer all such letters as the Society shall receive, they being previously communicated to the President, or Trustees assembled.
XIV. The President and Trustees shall, upon the second Tuesday in June, in every year, publickly adjudge a silver medal, not exceeding the value of one guinea, to the author of the most approved dissertation which they shall have received in the course of the preceding year, upon some subject connected with the principal objects of this Society; and the Society shall order the same to be printed at their expence, provided it shall be agreeable to the author's inclination.
THOUGH the following Methods are chiefly adapted to cases of apparent death from drowning, yet the Society think it proper to observe, that most of the means of restoration herein recommended are applicable to a considerable variety of other cases, such as hanging, convulsion fits, suffocation by damps, or noxious vapours, the confined air of wells, cisterns, caves, or the must of fermenting liquors.—The Society have in some of the more essential articles of treatment, followed the recommendations of foreign Societies of a similar nature; they have however endeavoured to render them more conformable to the particular circumstances of this country.
METHODS of Treatment to be used with Persons apparently dead from drowning.
I. THE unfortunate person is to be conveyed carefully to the nearest house: For this purpose the head is to be raised a little, as in bed, and the body should be carried in a natural and easy posture.
II. The Subject is to be immediately stripped, and laid on a warm bed, and the skin well dried with heated flannels, the mud and froth to be removed from the mouth and nostrils; if the body was naked at the time of the accident, it is then to be surrounded as expeditiously as possible with a hot blanket, and thoroughly dried with coarse cloths or flannels.
III. The smoke of tobacco thrown up the fundament should be ranked among the earliest applications: If a fumigator should not be at hand, the common [Page 12] pipe* will answer the purpose of applying this vapour to the bowels. So easy and important an operation should be repeatedly performed, as the good effects of tobacco smoke have been proved in many cases.
IV. The skin is to be gently rubbed with warm woollen cloths, and a warming pan heated (the body being surrounded with flannel) may lightly be moved up and down the back for a considerable time. Wooden bottles filled with hot water, &c. or heated bricks, covered with flannel▪ may be efficaciously applied to the soles of the feet, palms of the hands, and other parts of the body.
V. If a child has been drowned, its body should be wiped perfectly dry, and immediately placed in bed between two persons of good constitution; the salutary effects of the natural vital warmth have been clearly proved in a variety of successful cases.
VI. The body is to be rubbed with flannels, sprinkled with spirits, and fomentations of hot rum are to be applied to the breast, &c. and often renewed. The nostrils may be every now and then tickled with a feather; snuff and volatiles should be occasionally made use of, to excite sneezing if possible. The various means of recovery should be made use of by the Assistants for several hours, the body is to be gently shaken every ten minutes, in order to render the process more certainly successful; and the bodies of Children in particular are to be agitated, by taking hold of their arms and legs frequently, and for a continuance of time. In a variety of instances [Page 13] agitation, in conjunction with the methods laid down, has forwarded the recovery of boys who had been drowned, and continued for a considerable time apparently dead.
VII. If there be any signs of returning life, such as sighing, gasping, convulsive motions, pulsation or a natural warmth, a sponful of any warm liquid may be administered; and if it proves that the power of swallowing is returned, then a cordial draught may be given in small quantities, but not without the direction of a Physician.
VIII. When the air is very cold or moist, the various methods of treatment are to be made use of near a large fire, or in a heated apartment. On the other hand, if the weather is warm, or sultry (as in the summer season) the windows and doors of the room should be opened; and in every other possible way a cool refreshing air obtained; as it is of the greatest importance in bringing forward the latent spark of life, or in restoring natural breathing.
IX. No persons are to be admitted into the room, but those who are actually employed in exerting their utmost endeavours for the recovery of the unfortunate; six persons are therefore the greatest number that can ever prove useful on such occasions; and those who are by-standers for the sake of curiosity should be requested to withdraw, as their presence may retard or totally prevent the restoration.
Bleeding is never to be employed in such cases, unless by the direction of one of the Medical Assistants, or some other respectable gentleman of the faculty, who has paid attention to such unfortunate accidents.
[Page 14]The methods which have been so fully recommended, are to be made use of with vigour for several hours, although no favourable circumstances should arise; for it is a vulgar and dangerous opinion to suppose that persons are irrecoverable, because life does not soon make its appearance; and upon this opinion, an immense number of the seemingly dead have been committed to the grave; who might have been RESTORED TO LIFE by resolution and perseverance in the plans of treatment now recommended.
Methods to be used for the Recovery of Persons frozen.
I. THE body of a person chilled with the Cold, apparently lifeless▪ is to be carefully examined, and if the limbs are not stiffened, if there is any degree of warmth remaining about the breast or in the armpits, it may be proper to attempt the Recovery, especially if any motion is perceivable by putting the hand upon the heart.
II. The body is to be placed under cover, but not near a fire.——Nothing hot is to be applied to any parts of the body; to the soles of the feet, however, warm bricks may be applied with safety.
III. The body is to be gently rubbed with a woollen cloth, or with a warm hand, especially about the breast and along the back bone.
IV. Tobacco smoke is to be blown into the fundament from a lighted tobacco pipe, if convenient, warm clysters should also be injected, and if symptoms of recovery are then apparent, a [Page 15] little weak wine and water may be given moderately warmed, but no strong spirits nor any thing else is to be given that may have a tendency suddenly to increase the circulation of the blood, as every thing of that kind must at this stage of the recovery prove very injurious.
N. B. Whenever any good has been produced by the means recommended, the person who has superintended the cure is desired to write a circumstantial account of it to the Society.
DONATIONS.
DR. Oliver Smith presented the Society with a Machine for injection of tobacco smoke, to be deposited in a proper place, for the relief of persons apparently dead from drowning.
The first Vice-President presented the Trustees with a deed or title of one share in Malden-Bridge, and requested the acceptance of the several payments for the same, amounting to the sum of thirty-six pounds, upon the following conditions, viz. That the income arising from said share shall be put to interest continually, for the term of twenty years, as an accumulating fund, under the direction of the Trustees; at the expiration of which term, the interest arising from said fund, together with the income of said share, to be appropriated for the benefit of said Society, at the direction of the Trustees for the time being.
The following is a List of the Officers elected for the Year 1788.
- Hon. JAMES BOWDOIN, Esq President.
- THOMAS RUSSELL, Esq First Vice-President.
- JOHN WARREN, M. D. Second Vice-President.
- Rev. SIMEON HOWARD, D. D. Treasurer.
- Rev. JOHN CLARKE, Corresponding Secretary.
- Rev. SAMUEL PARKER, Recording Secretary.
- Rev. JOHN LATHROP, D D. Trustees.
- Rev. PETER THACHER, Trustees.
- Doct. THOMAS WELSH, Trustees.
- AARON DEXTER, M. D. Trustees.
- JOHN AVERY, Esq Trustees.
- Mr. NATHANIEL BALCH. Trustees.
CASES Wherein Persons apparently dead have been recovered.
AN ingenious and very useful Communication on the subject of Restoration from apparent Death, has been received from Mr. Jonathan Williams of Boston, from which, as an encouragement for exertion in similar cases, the following facts are extracted.— A child of Mr. Williams, at that time in Nantz, at about the age of 12 days was taken ill, and on the 13th to appearance died.—Mr. Wiilliams immediately determined to try an experiment on his child, and by gentle friction with soft flannel near a fire, in about fifteen minutes restored it to life; though being very weak from a premature birth, it lived only 20 hours longer.—Mr. Williams himself at the age of nine years, fell into the mill-creek—it is uncertain how long he continued under water—he was at length discovered and taken up breathless; the body was placed between hot blankets and rubbed on every part with hot cloths, hot bricks were applied to the soles of his feet, and all the other usual methods were employed, till every one except his mother was discouraged, and desisted from the use of means; she alone, however, indefatigably persevered, and was rewarded, though not until the end of four hours, with the exquisite pleasure of restoring him to life.
Doctor Franklin communicated to Mr. Williams the case of a gentleman, who laboured under a disease which he himself supposed would prove mortal: When he approached the last agonies, his faithful servant was weeping by his side—he ordered the servant to watch him, and when he had breathed his last, to get naked into his bed, and as far as possible encompass the body; then to breathe forcibly into his mouth, and continue this act till he should recover, or become cold.—He punctually obeyed; the gentleman recovered, and [...] the story many years after.
[Page 18]Another well known instance is produced of a Philadelphia gentleman in France, who about five years since was supposed to have died, and three days afterwards was about to be buried, when a Physician present happening to look into the coffin, was induced, from the appearance of the countenance, to delay the funeral; he immediately made use of the common methods; the gentleman revived, and is now alive and well in Philadelphia.
The following case is extracted from a letter from Dr. Blodget, viz. That on the 4th or June 1757▪ he was called to the son of Mr. Nathaniel Gunn, jun. of Montague, who had been taken out of a Well, and was supposed to be dead. When he arrived at the house, he found him laid on a bed covered with a blanket, without the least appearance of life either from pulsation or respiration. The Doctor opened a vein in the arm but could not obtain any blood; his next attempt to restore life was by friction, with warm flannels; by persisting in this plan for about 15 minutes, the Boy began to grow warm, and motion was observed at the pit of the stomach, and soon after a sigh followed and a spoonful of water ran out of his mouth; his pulse began to beat and respiration took place, and in about an hour he was able to sit up in the bed.
Thus without any other means, excepting some trifling cordials, he was restored to life and health.
Mr. Gunn, upon being informed of the accident, went down the Well, perceiving the water perfectly still, did not expect to find the Boy there; but plunging his arm into the water, which was near three feet deep, he found him laying at the bottom, and immediately carried him into the house, strip'd him, and laid him on the bed as the Doctor found him.
The Doctor observes. that "though it is impossible to determine how long the Boy was in a state of inactivity, breathless, and to appearance dead; yet if we allow fifteen minutes for the Boy to be under water, [Page 19] (and I am of opinion it was much longer) and twenty five minutes for the messenger to come to me, to the distance of four miles; and twenty five minutes for me to go to Mr. Gunns, and fifteen minutes after I got there before life appeared in the Boy, we can account for one hour and one quarter.
The following communication, with which we have been favored by Mr. James Sumner, farther proves the utility of perseverance in cases which at first may appear entirely desperate. A Lad of the name of Greene, had fallen into the mill-pond, in this town; he had been under water about 20 minutes, when he was found and brought on shore apparently dead.—The body was agitated by rolling gently on a barrel, and a considerable quantity of water discharged from the mouth thereby; after this he was conveyed to the house of Mr. Sumner's father: Mr. Sumner immediately heated a blanket very hot and wrapp'd up in it the body of the lad, which he then placed before a pretty large fire, turning it so as to expose every part to the fire; during this time the body was constantly rubb'd with fine salt, but for the space of an hour and an half no sign of life whatever appeared: After this Mr. Sumner still persevering, he thought he felt a small degree of fluttering motion in the belly; he still continued, applying his hands to various parts of the body, but would have been discouraged from persevering had he not heard that such attempts, though for a long time seemingly fruitless, had finally, sometimes, been crowned with success; from this consideration the measures were continued 'till at length a pulsation was felt, first in the temples, and soon after in the wrist; not long after this an effort was made to breathe, with a kind of snorting noise in drawing in the air; a number of others succeeded, at first more slowly, but gradually in quicker succession, 'till he began to breathe free and easy; and nothing having been poured into the mouth, he at length appeared to be perfectly recovered; when Mr. Sumner led him home in health to his parents.
The following Instances may serve to convey some Idea of the Success with which the Institution has been attended.
A Child of Mr. Samuel Dashwood, jun. painter, in Boston, of two years of age, in the month of October, 1787, fell into a Cistern of water, 7 feet deep, and was taken out by a gentleman of the neighbourhood, and was apparently dead: Fortunately this gentleman was acquainted with the methods recommended by the HUMANE SOCIETY, and immediately began to put them into practice.
The subject was undressed and wiped as dry as possible; hot blankets were wrapped round the body, and as one became cool, another was applied,—with these friction was used to every part of the body; after a few minutes (between four and seven) they had the unexpected satisfaction, to discover signs of returning life,—the first symptom of recovery, was a convulsive motion of the chest, attended with a forcible effort to distend the lungs: A Physician arriving at this time, the pulse was examined, and though perceptible, it was extremely languid and irregular:—Fumigation of tobacco, was vigorously applied, and on the first injection into the bowels, it instantly produced a full inspiration, succeeded by a loud and laborious roat—and an evident increase of the action of the heart;—On suspending the use of this remedy, for a minute, the vigor of the pulse was sensibly abated, and on returning to it again, the effects were as before, together with a small discharge of indigested matter from the stomach; in about 25 minutes from the child's being taken out of the water, the pulse began to beat with some degree of regularity, and the breathing to be performed with less labour and interruption, though he was still to appearance in considerable distress: At this period he was placed in a hot bed, with a person, who was directed to continue the friction; hot bricks were applied to the feet, and a warming-pan of coals directed to be repeatedly moved over the bed cloaths. In three or four hours he appeared to be perfectly recovered, and is now a healthy and promising child.
[Page 21]THE Society, since their last publication, have erected for the benefit of shipwrecked Mariners a number of huts, or small buildings, furnished with necessaries for their Relief, viz. one on Lovell's island, in the harbour of Boston, situated on the north east side, on a rising ground, about sixty rods from the shore; one on the outer beach of Nantasket, about forty rods from Strawberry-Hill, so called; and one on Scituate beach, a mile to the southward of the fourth clift, so called, and nearly opposite to White's ferry.
The following Certificate will shew the Effects of this timely Provision for an Accident to which every Vessel coming upon the Coast is constantly liable. Boston February 25th, 1788.
THIS may certify, that in the night of the 14th of December last, a small schooner sailed from this place bound to Cape-Ann, having on board besides the Captain Mr. John Bishop, four persons, viz. Capt. Philip Haskel, Mr. Joseph Plumber, Mr. Ephraim Ellery and Mr. — Smith. The wind being very high, before day, the schooner was driven upon the rocks, called Ram-head, near Lovell's Island, in the lower harbour. With great difficulty the people got upon the island, and to their inexpressible joy, reached the house lately erected by the Humane Society, for the preservation of shipwrecked Seamen, in which they found every necessary for warming, drying and making themselves comfortable.
The people all wish to express their gratitude to the Founders of that benevolent Institution, and acknowledge that, under God, they owe the preservation of their lives to the shelter, and the means of comfort which they found in it, as the night was extremely cold, and they were entirely wet before it was possible for them to get upon the shore.
PREMIUMS adjudged by the Humane Society.*
THE Society with great pleasure announce to the public the exertions of such of their fellow-citizens as have been instrumental in saving from death a number of persons who must otherwise inevitably have perished; and as a reward for such exertions they have adjudged the following Premiums:—
To Mr. Sloane, for saving a Boy who had fallen through the ice into the mill-pond, and who had repeatedly sunk to the bottom when young Mr. Sloane discovered him, and without taking off his cloaths plung'd into the water and brought him to the shore, where by the use of proper means he was recovered. —One Guinea.
To Mr. Gleason, for a similar exertion, in saving the child of Mr. Hollis, who had fallen from a wharf and was drowning; the sum of One Guinea.
To Ebenezer Herring, jun. for saving a Boy who had broken through the ice and fallen into the channel in Charles-river; the sum of Twenty Shillings.—The Boy in this instance saved himself from sinking by holding upon the edge of the ice until he was dragg'd out of the water by young Herring, with no small risque of breaking in himself.