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Pat Shingleton: "Ben and the Turkey..."

6 years 5 months 3 weeks ago Wednesday, June 13 2018 Jun 13, 2018 June 13, 2018 9:00 AM June 13, 2018 in Pat Shingleton Column
By: Pat Shingleton:


Louisiana ranks second to the number of lightning hits on a yearly basis with Florida leading the list. The Old Farmer’s Almanac-Acts of God notes an excerpt from one of Benjamin Franklin’s journals which may have placed the famed statesman and inventor as one of the first to execute resuscitation. “A pullet (turkey) was struck dead by the lightning shock directed through its head.”  Franklin furthered in his journal that he attempted to revive the turkey by repeatedly “blowing into its lungs.”  His attempts with this procedure met with success and apparently the bird recovered.  However, once it was “set down”, the confused and delirious turkey ran headlong against a wall. Historians believe this was one of the first cases of artificial respiration being used as a treatment of electric shock.

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