Massaging the Heart. The Moisture Question.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 June 1910, Page 4

Massaging the Heart.

The Moisture Question.

AND A FALMERSTON PARALLEL.

A remarkable case in which an anfaesthetie fatality was prevented by actual massage of the beiart lias been reported 'to the lancet' 'by an officer of the Indian Medical Service, ft appears that during an operation of wot very great severity i'lie he.'i-rt suddenly failed, whilst bra&thinu ceased and the patient 'became to afll in'tents amd purposes lifeless. The surgeon .rapidly opened the body, and seizing the heart in his hand (irmly squeezed lit several times. This manoeuvre fortunately restarted the latent mechanism of contraction, and the heart began to bea't regularly once more. Subsequently the operation was continued 'and the patient nrado a complete recovery. In an interesting comment upon!this rasa t'he Feildiwig Star states tliat tlio ideta of massaging the heart in cases of heart failure while un-

der an anaesthetic is not new, bulk it has been rarely carried out w ; th success. The fact tfiat it h'as agtain been successful should surgeons to carry out this manoeuvre in cases where chloroform has stopped the heart, although in mofetb hospitals it has hitherto been regarded as being a practically hopeless pro redii.re. Ro;me fourteen years ago, the late -Mr Robert Tripe, who ">'actised dentistry at Palmers ton, Was •mecessful in saving a lady patient's 'life by this method, when she seemed beyond medical aid, although W;ere was no surgical operation required. He just lifted the lady up

iind with the powerful pressure of his hands—one at the back and one over the heart—restored the organ's heating, and 'brought the lady to again.. He used' to tell with a grim smile how the lady came hackto him some weeks ufterwardls and complained of a pain above her heart, due—as Mr Tripe said!— to two ribs being broken in the saving of her life.

One of the questions of tHio day i:n the world of dairy is that of moisture in butter. New Zealand has got into trouble over it, and two or three cases go to show that Australlia is sailing dangerously close to the wind. The Victorian factory managers considered it in conference this .monith, and also discussed it witli the Minister for Agriculture.

Mr Graham said that he .had received a number of complaints from the Agent-General about excessive moisture in Victorian butter on the

London market. Tit was desirable to see if they could not arrive at some solution of the difficulty, am; remove the stigma of excessive moisture from the reputation of Victorian butter. Before there was a fixed standard there were no complaints on the score of excessive moisture. There might be no necessity to reduce the standard from lfi to II if heavier fines wore imposed on these who offended.

_ The following motions were carried That this meeting of directors. managers, and others interested in bultter manufacture -i-otest against the reduction, of the nercentage of moisture in butter from 10 to 14 per cent." "That instead of reducing the standard of moisture_ from 10 to II .per cent., !tbe Minister be asked to imr'ose progressive penalties oni tlhose exceeding the present standard." That this conference is in favour of grading butter for educational purposes, but is strongly opposed to the grade branding of butter, ns it considers it will .preiudieaily iffc-i the interests of the dnirv industry. We request- the .Minister of Customs to retain tho evistin" r^uhitieiiis."-Sydney Stock and Station Journal.