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Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17119, 14 April 1921, Page 10

At last evening's meeting of the Christchurch Ambulance Division, Dr. i\ J. Borrio lectured on the causes and treatment of asphyxia, thus completing liis series of lectures on insensibility. He detailed several causes ,that brought about that condition, par-, ticularly gas poisoning and swelling of the mucous membrane. These, he explained, were common cases. In treating aphyxia resulting from gas poisoning, if the cause were still active, the first-aider would have to protect himself with a wet handkerchief tied oyer the mouth and nostrils before entering the scene of accident.- Failure to take tliis precaution might land him in the same plight as the patient. Swelling of the mucous membrane usually resulted through a child sucking the j spout of a boiling kettle. The .treatment was to give a demulcont drink (such as cold cream or cold water), or, I Jbetter still, ico to suck. At 'the sani(»: time heat should bo applied to the ex- | terior of the throat by towels wrung out' in hot water. Two mistakes which resulted in many deaths from asphyxia] were the practice of keeping an infant in bed with the mother, and also tho belief that it was necessary for the police to view the body of a hanging man bftforo it waß cut down.