Y.M.C.A.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9674, 23 December 1909, Page 5

Y.M.C.A.

♦ PHYSICAL CULTURE MEDALS LIFE SAVING DEMONSTRATION. In a twofold way last night's meeting and demonstration a', the Y.M.G.A. Rooms served to show how Useful an organisation .Buch as tha. Y.M.C./i. could be iu'a comrauni'y of people. In the absence of the President (Mr P. L. Hollings), Mr Alf. Snowball- occupied the chair, land in a few opening remarks explained the nature of the work done Cy the Y.M.G.A. along physical culture lines, and in a more humanitarian way per the medium of life-sav-ing. Mention was made of the £SOO scheme for extension of premises, which would provide a first-class gymnasium and billiard room towards which scheme JSI4O had been promised to data.

The medals recently won in the physical development competition were then presented by Dr. Prior eight silver and goldicentred medals, respectively, to Eric Gully (best de veloped boy under 8), Douglas Wood (under 10), Bert Wood funder 12). Seniors: (Under Bst) J. McHattie, (10st) Murray Jackson (list), 1. J. Williamson, and to S. Moje (the ;boy who received, most benefit) and in the senior section Harry Satchell. The bestdeveloped boy in all sections was George Cooper, and the best man Walter Fisher, each of whom received a gold medal, the gifts of the President.

A demonstration by the Life Saving Class members was given, one showing the five methods of rescue from drowning, and three methods of .release,"the secretary and instructor; (Mr Alf. Snowball) explaining the reason why of each method. Dr. Prior subsequently gave a lecture to the members 01 the class on "The Theory/of Circulation; Keepir-. ation and Resuscitation." The Doctor said that he felt keenly the difficulty of crushing into ten minutes what had taken certain professors twelve months to cram into him. He very briefly and lucidly explained to those present all the various operations connected with the circulatory ayatem, the wonderful central organ the heart, the intermitting of carbonic acid gas and oxygen, making the wonderfuljchange from impure to pure blood. He very interestingly told of the lungs, wonderful make up, delicacy and power, respiration, consisting of two actions, the lowering of the diaphragm in inspiration and the natural self-performing action of expiration, each act taking about two seconds to perform, so that to breathe naturally fifteen times a minute would be about the rate. The wouldbe life saver must carelully qbserve certain stoppages of respiration. First, there may be natural or permanent stoppages by disease in throat or nose; secondly, the tongue was inclined to get in the way; and, thirdly, there may be seaweed, or water. All would have to be got rid of, and a first essential was coolness. Through the years many systems of resuscitation had been tried, and although good work had been done, especially by the Sylvester method, the best method was the Schafer—"Prone Pressure" method. The was the best, most effective and easiest, and far less fatiguing for the operator. A demonstration of the Schafer method by two of the Y.M.C.A. members was given at the close of the lecture. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Dr. Prior for his lecture.