Flagg, P. J.

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The Linacre QuarterlyVolume 9 | Number 1 Article 3January 1941We, Who Are About to Die, Call the FireDepartmentP. J. FlaggFollow this and additional works at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/lnqRecommended CitationFlagg, P. J. (1941) "We, Who Are About to Die, Call the Fire Department," The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 9 : No. 1 , Article 3.Available at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol9/iss1/3THE LINAORE QUARTERLY WE, WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE, CALL THE FIRE DEPART}v1ENT By P. J. FLAGG, M.D. New Vork City And the flame of life not infre-quently ' flickers and goes out I How strange, how tragic, and how true. 1'he fireme~, the policemen, the first-aid squads of the indus-trial apd utility corporations through no fault or desire of their own, find themselves in a position utterly unique in modern medi-cine, called upon in extreme medi-cal and surgical emergencies to save the lives of those about to die from gas poisoning, drowning, drug ppisoning, childbirth, and many otper forms of suffocation. Incredible as it may seem, these lay groilps, innocent of medical knowledge or training, except for specialized training in a technique known IlS the Prone Pres,sure Schaeffer method of artificial res-piration with or without the use of an :inhalator, have actually been caned into operating rooms to care for asphyxiated newborn babies, and even surgical patients. Far fTom criticizing the excel-lent services performed by these highly-trained lay groups, one has nothing but praise to offer. The criticism of the situation does not turn on what they do, but upon the curiously abrupt limitation of strictly medical service 'in these emergencies. Well fOay the historian, writ-ing in 1988, smile with amusement when he encounters this curious anomaly appearing suddenly In the broad and consistent field of medical advance characterizing the first half of the twentieth cen-tury. One may very well ask-"How did we get this way?" The answer, fortunately, is not far to seek. The rapid spread and develop-ment of industry and the utilities, brought with them the hazard and the mortality which accompany carbon monoxide poisoning. The wide use of illuminating gas, min-ing operations, and the manufac-ture of chemicals created an insis-tent demand for a simple, effective, routine, emergency method by which to treat the gassed victims. A satisfactory manual emergency routine was found and developed as the Prone Pressure Schaeffer method of artificial respiration. Its llse was popularized inten-sively. Through the assistance of the Bureau of Mines almost II. half million persons were trained in the technique. There was later added the life-saving oxygen and CO2 so splendidly popularized by Yandell Hend~rson of Yale. It was ad-vised that the method be continued in use for hours if necessary. The fatigqe experienced by the opera-tor suggested the need of a team, which developed into the well-known first-aid squad. The irresistible combination of first-class organization, gll\mour, and the perpetual publicity atten-dant upon the services performed, r n 1 rHE LINAORE QUARTERLY gr&d4ally created a situation in whicr it se~med more important to cllll t~e fescue squad than it was to find out just what treat-ment the patient required. Strange to relate, the medical professiop, itself; seems to have been quite as susceptible to the glamour of the .rescue squad as was the uninformed public. As a result, the p.mbulance surgeon, caUeq to an p.sphyxiated patient, under t~·eatment by a first-aid squacl, rarely had anything to offer to complement what was gomg on. His effort was limited to giving hypodermic stimulation and "hanging around until he coulq pronounce the patient deaQ." "So what?" you may say. Well, first of all, two things hav~ happened, which suggest that perhaps it might be a good idea to call a physician at the same tiIlle that we call the rescue squad. The first of these reasons is as follows: Within the last decade it has been pointed out that when all the causes of asphyxia are added to-geth!!r, the resultant deaths may be conservatively estimated as ""' JIJpre than 50,000 a year, or at least twice that due to automobile accidents. Secondly, a national movement to prevent asphyxial death has gradually developed over the same period. New light has been thrown upon the pathological physiology of asphyxia or in simple words upon the bio-chemical distur-~ances of the normal respiratory And circulatory functions.Spe-cial mechanical means have be-come available to the physician to carry out the indications suggest-ep by these findings and to enable him to complement the work of the , first-aid squad. As a result of this new move-Jllent and because of these new findings the rescue squad of the future may shortly be asked-When was the physician called? When did he arrive at the scene of the accident? The physician may be requested to explain: What action did you take to aug-ment the work of the first-aid squad which resulted in rescuing the patient? We, who are about to die,-~sk the physician to save us! --~.....---:// . / News Item Hartford, Conn.::- The State Supreme Court today upheld the Connecticut Anti-Birth Control Law, wfJicQ prohibits the use of contraceptives without exceptions. The ruling dealt with the case of two Waterbury doctors and a IlllrSe, accused of assisting, abet-ting, and counseling married women in the use of contraceptive drugs and instruments. -New York Times. 

We, Who Are About to Die, Call the Fire Department

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We, Who Are About to Die, Call the Fire Department

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