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Clinton County, Genealogy and Local History
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Clinton County, Genealogy and Local History
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Dr. Patchen's practice in those pioneer days was extensive, with long rides over rough roads, all along the valley of the Saranac and in Peru and Ausable.
His resuscitation of Franklin Bromley gave him much notoriety.
Bromley was a small child on whom an operation in tracheotomy had been unsuccessfully attempted for the removal of a bean from the wind-pipe by a brother physician, and which resulted in great loss of blood by the cutting of a blood vessel, and the child was apparently dead as far as external appearances indicated. He introduced a large elastic gum catheter through the orifice of the wound into the larynx, and inflated the lungs. He carried on artificial respiration, accompanied by the use of volatiles and friction, until the lungs had been inflated fifteen or twenty times before there were any signs of returning life. He then observed motion, which encouraged him to persevere in the measures mentioned. Shortly a gasp, or slight catch for breath, which gradually grew stronger, until he was able to respire without assistance, which was about one hour." [sic] The child, recovered, grew to manhood and died a few years ago.
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