An enquiry into the causes of suspended animation from drowning : with the means of restoring life. by David Hosack, M.D.

  • Hosack, David, 1769-1835.
Date:
1792
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An enquiry into the causes of suspended animation from drowning : with the means of restoring life. by David Hosack, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    i ft. That in every animal there is a living or vital principle, or what Doclor Cullen calls a certain condition in the nerves and mufcular fibres, by which they are fenfible and irritable, and upon which the aclion of the heart itfelf depends: as to the feat or fource of this principle there have been different opinions ;* thus much, however, we know as ap- plicable to our prefent purpofe, that in many in- ftances it fubfifts for fome time after refpiration and the circulation of the blood have ceafed. It is alfo well known, that while it exifts it is capable of be- ing reftored to all the purpofes of life, hence (as we are credibly informed) feveral perfons have been reftored after hours continuance under water.-f- 2d. That * Some have fuppofed it to refide in the nervous-fyftem; but others, with perhaps more probability, that it refides in the blood; among whom are Harvey, the difcoverer of the circulation, and John Hunter, the prefent celebrated anatomift of London. ■f See Medical Commentaries, vol. xvi. p. 190. In the New-York Magazine, vol. ii. p. 624, there is alfo an inftance of a recovery after the perfon had been at leaft an hour under water, and that principally from injections of tobacco fmoke. Northcote, in his Marine Practice, obferves, that he has ge- nerally been able to bring about the recovery of thofe who had been but from four to twenty minutes in the water. He alfo adds, that he has known numerous inftancesof recovery though they had appeared to be dead for even five or fix hours. Dr. Cullen likewife obferves, that it has often happened that though means employed for one hour have not fucceeded, the fame continued for two or mare hours, have at length had the wifhed-for efFccl.