Henry Heimlich first published his stop-choking technique on this day in 1974. The surgeon was looking to find a way to make it easier for everyday citizens without medical training to intervene when seeing someone choking. Heimlich’s method was unproven when he got it published in the journal “Emergency Medicine,” at least in humans. Instead, he tested it out on man’s best friend.
Four beagles had gotten the Heimlich maneuver 20 times each before the surgeon said, “This seems like it could work for people too.” While it seems like a pretty big leap, before the method became a known practice, saving the life of someone with something in their windpipe required a doctor to insert a hypodermic needle into their trachea. This was, it goes without saying, hard to get done quickly if someone started choking in the middle of a restaurant.
Since Heimlich proposed the maneuver in his essay, tens of thousands of lives have been saved. June 1 is now recognized as National Heimlich Maneuver Day.
