Hysterical fits almost always occur in young women.  Such patients never bite their tongue nor hurt themselves.  Placing a towel wrung out in cold water across the face, or dashing a little cold water on the face or neck, will usually cut short the fit, speaking firmly to the patient at the same time.  Never sympathize too much with such patients; it will only make them a great deal worse.

377.  Asphyxia.  Asphyxia is from the Greek, and means an “absence of pulse.”  This states a fact, but not the cause.  The word is now commonly used to mean suspended animation.  When for any reason the proper supply of oxygen is cut off, the tissues rapidly load up with carbon dioxid.  The blood turns dark, and does not circulate.  The healthy red or pink look of the lips and finger-nails becomes a dusky purple.  The person is suffering from a lack of oxygen; that is, from asphyxia, or suffocation.  It is evident there can be several varieties of asphyxia, as in apparent drowning, strangulation and hanging, inhalation of gases, etc.

The first and essential thing to do is to give fresh air.  Remove the person to the open air and place him on his back.  Remove tight clothing about the throat and waist, dash on cold water, give a few drops of ammonia in hot water or hot ginger tea.  Friction applied to the limbs should be kept up.  If necessary, use artificial respiration by the Sylvester method (sec. 380).

The chief dangers from poisoning by noxious gases come from the fumes of burning coal in the furnace, stove, or range; from “blowing out” gas, turning it down, and having it blown out by a draught; from the foul air often found in old wells; from the fumes of charcoal and the foul air of mines.

378.  Apparent Drowning.  Remove all tight clothing from the neck, chest, and waist.  Sweep the forefinger, covered with a handkerchief or towel, round the mouth, to free it from froth and mucus.  Turn the body on the face, raising it a little, with the hands under the hips, to allow any water to run out from the air passages.  Take only a moment for this.

Lay the person flat upon the back, with a folded coat, or pad of any kind, to keep the shoulders raised a little.  Remove all the wet, clinging clothing that is convenient.  If in a room or sheltered place, strip the body, and wrap it in blankets, overcoats, etc.  If at hand, use bottles of hot water, hot flats, or bags of hot sand round the limbs and feet.  Watch the tongue:  it generally tends to slip back, and to shut off the air from the glottis.  Wrap a coarse towel round the tip of the tongue, and keep it well pulled forward.

The main thing to do is to keep up artificial respiration until the natural breathing comes, or all hope is lost.  This is the simplest way to do it:  The person lies on the back; let some one kneel behind the head.  Grasp both arms near the elbows, and sweep them upward above the head until they nearly touch.  Make a firm pull for a moment.  This tends to fill the lungs with air by drawing the ribs up, and making the chest cavity larger.  Now return the arms to the sides of the body until they press hard against the ribs.  This tends to force out the air.  This makes artificially a complete act of respiration.  Repeat this act about fifteen times every minute.