What was the effort that Andrew persisted in? What was the result?
The doctor laboured in vain for half an hour. He still persisted in one last effort. He continued rubbing the child with a rough towel. He went on ‘crushing and releasing’ the little chest with both his hands. He was trying to get breath into that limp body. A miracle took place. The child gave a short heave. The doctor redoubled his efforts feverishly. The child was gasping and finally came the cry.
Where did the midwife place the child and why?
The elderly midwife was sure that the child was stillborn or lifeless. She had placed it beneath the bed. When the doctor asked for the child, the midwife made a frightened gesture. In a flash Andrew knelt down. He pulled the child from among the dirty newspapers below the bed.
How did the child look like when the doctor first saw him?
The child was a boy. He was perfectly formed. His limp warm body was white and soft. The cord was hastily slashed. The head lolled on the thin neck. The limbs seemed boneless. His whiteness showed that he suffered from ‘asphyxia pallida’. It meant lack of oxygen in the blood.
What treatment did the doctor use in the case of the child and with what effect?
The doctor laid the child upon a blanket and began the special method of respiration. He took two basins. Like some crazy juggler he plunged the child into the icy water. Then he hurried him into the other basin containing steaming water. After labouring in vain for 15 minutes a sense of defeat pressed on him.
How did the nurse and the old woman react when they heard the child cry?
The doctor’s frantic efforts succeeded in giving a new lease of life to the child. He gasped and his limbs were no longer boneless. His colour was slowly turning pink. Then finally came the child’s cry. The nurse sobbed hysterically and thanked God. The old woman stood against the wall. She was praying. The child’s mother was still not fully conscious.
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