Medicine: Pressed Back to Life

The nearest kitchen or Scout knife has saved many a life when used in emergencies to open the chest for massage of a stopped heart. But the method is risky. This week Johns Hopkins University researchers reported success in 50 cases with a faster and safer technique, suitable for use by laymen after a little training. The principle: closed-chest massage.

Dr. William B. Kouwenhoven, 74, an electrical engineer (professor emeritus at Hopkins) who also lectures on surgery at the university, worked out the method with the help of three colleagues. The team experimented first with animals, then adapted the idea to...

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