Tiny Stories: The Tobacco Enema

Popular belief has it that the universe is comprised of atoms. In reality, the universe is actually made up of…

The Henderson boy was pulled beneath the water’s surface by a rip current where the water that surrounded him was suddenly freezing cold, numbing him to the bone.

By the time the lifeguard was able to reach him with a float and drag him back to the beach shore, he had already succumbed to the water and surely would have perished had Dr. Phineas Ogden not been on hand with his kit containing a tobacco enema.

Interesting Fact: The Tobacco enema (circa 1750-1810) was a device primarily used for resuscitating drowning victims by introducing smoke into the victim’s rectum. It was believed that the hot tobacco smoke would restore lost consciousness allowing the victim to begin breathing again.