Medicine: Doctors Disagree

At Coney Island, Manhattan's chief bathing beach, a life guard last week hauled an unconscious man from the water. Guards Herman Hirschorn and Samuel Rosenblum at once applied artificial respiration. While they were alternating squeezing and releasing the victim's ribs, an ambulance arrived with Dr. Irving Plain and an inhalator. The guards ceased their efforts at resuscitation to argue with Dr. Plain that the inhalator's carbon dioxide, which stimulates breathing, can harm lung tissue. He would not, they said, let anyone use an inhalator on one of their drowning patients. A pulmotor pumps...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!