Medical milestones, landmark publications, and notable births and deaths associated with July 16.

Events

1774 — An early report of electrical resuscitation appeared in the annual report of the newly founded Society for the recovery of persons apparently drowned (Royal Humane Society). The case involved 3-year-old Catherine Sophia Greenhill having fallen from a first-storey window in Soho and thought beyond help…

…the attending apothecary had declared that nothing could be done for the child. Mr Squires, “with the consent of the parents” very humanely tried the effects of electricity. At least twenty minutes had elapsed before he could apply the shock, which he gave to various parts of the body without any apparent success; but at length, upon transmitting a few shocks through the thorax, he perceived a small pulsation: soon after the child began to sigh, and to breathe, though with great difficulty…the child was restored to perfect health and spirits in about a week

Humane Society, 1774

It is somewhat doubtful that the electricity resulted in ROSC as the child was likely unconscious from a head injury, that is unless she had commotio cordis…

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Births

1910 – Jacob Churg (1910–2005), Belarussian/Polish born American practicing pathologist; described Churg–Strauss syndrome (1951)

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Deaths

1977 – Ralph Douglas Kenneth Reye (1912-1977), Australian pathologist; described Reye Syndrome (1963)

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Further reading

• Case IX. Society for the recovery of persons apparently drowned (Royal Humane Society) 1774: 31-32