Marvels of Scientific Invention: An Interesting Account in Non-Technical Language of the Invention of Guns, Torpedoes, Submarine Mines, Up-to-Date Smelting, Freezing, Colour Photography, and Many Other Recent Discoveries of ScienceCorbin, Thomas W.
Science
Marvels of Scientific Invention: An Interesting Account in Non-Technical Language of the Invention of Guns, Torpedoes, Submarine Mines, Up-to-Date Smelting, Freezing, Colour Photography, and Many Other Recent Discoveries of Science
Corbin, Thomas W.
Inventions
Still another form of breathing appliance may well be taken on these
rescue expeditions, and that is the reviving apparatus, for use upon
those who have apparently ceased to breathe. In this case a mask is put
over the sufferer's mouth and nose, and then the turning of a lever into
a certain position causes oxygen to escape from a cylinder in such a way
as to cause a suction which empties the man's lungs of the bad gases
which have laid him low. That done, another movement of the lever and a
deep breath of oxygen flows into his lungs in their place. Thus by
alternating the positions of the lever an artificial respiration is set
up far more effective than can possibly be attained by the ordinary
method of moving the man's arms and pressing his chest. Indeed there are
cases, such as when his arms or ribs are injured, when the ordinary
method is impossible, but it is hard to imagine an instance when this
beneficent apparatus could not be used, and so long as there be any
spark of life left in the poor fellow there seems to be every reason to
expect a complete revival as the result of its use.
Of course there are many other places where poisonous gases are likely
to be met with, such as gas-works, chemical-works, limeworks, and so on,
where this apparatus may be kept with advantage, in case of accident.
Indeed all that has been described above has its use apart from colliery
explosions, although they are the outstanding opportunities for its
employment. Old workings, tunnels which have been empty for a time,
sewers--all these have, on occasion, to be entered, not to mention
houses full of smoke, or factories full of chemical fumes, all of which
form cases in which the rescue apparatus would find useful employment.
CHAPTER XIX
HOW SCIENCE HELPS TO KEEP US WELL
One branch of science--medical science--concerns itself almost entirely
with health, but it would be out of place to refer to such matters here,
even if the present writer were capable of doing justice to the subject.
A new medicine or a new method of operating upon a suffering patient
would be quite correctly described as a scientific marvel, but it is not
of such that this chapter deals, but rather with those great works by
which the engineer, often taught by the medical man, promotes the health
of a whole community.
Most important of these, perhaps, is the provision of pure water. Some
places are more fortunately situated than others in this respect, being
near streams flowing down from mountains clear and unpolluted, which can
be drunk after the minimum of purification. Others have to make use of
the waters of a moderately clean river, as London does those of the
Thames and Lea, in which cases the greatest care has to be exercised in
the filtration of the liquid before it can be sent out through the mains
for domestic consumption.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account