New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-13


tsrts of cellars than among jewellers above
Ground. The most apparent causes are want
Air. and the Exhalstops Of the Body, where there
is neither space. to dissipate nor ventilation to
sweep them away. We viii briefly consderthese
two causes.
There are two changes which the air undergoas
from the collection Of & number of living bodies in
G spsce too small for them. The one is by the
chemical alterations which occur 10 the air by yea
son Of respiration simply and the other is an ad-
mixture with the Dir Of some carnations from the
bodies Of both such as in health and such as are
diseased The first mentioned alteration exhibits
tie presence Of csrbonic acid ga, and quantity
Of nitrogen gas il greater proportion than IS nat
ira il The ordinary constitution Of the atmo'Pne'e'
Both these effects are the results Of the oonsunP-
/ ton Of the oxygen Of the air breathed Tor every
volome Of oxygen taken into the langS' an eqaal
/ volume Of carborio acid is given of This loss Of
proportion Of oxygen leaves an excess Of nitro
cen where there is 10 renewal Of the AR by SUIT
able ventilation. ,....
TIE breathing both Of car5onic aeia fD' nitrogen
;s.,s,,. ouioily fatal, producing, when not term
,,,;,s IN destb, eiddiaess, severe headaene' loss
r. ,c.o,,,rees nrd distress il the Ghost When
/ t,e.n.ed FIR long time with small adn'xiure,
,te re,un is a general feeling Of lassi.ude and
prosiratioD
The other change is that which arises from the
surface of the lungs independently of respiration
and from the skim 1t is simply mixture, and
may exist with or without the chemical changes
from respiration rarely, however, ia it found alone
when the place is too much confined for healthy
respiration This is the change which SO often
eludes the test Of the chemist existing, to appear
arce, independently of tho atmosphere, except
that II is suspended and conveyed by it as foreign
substance, or rather by the vapOr Of water that is
uniformly present in the air.
There is a transparent fluid exhaled from the
skin and lungs, which is most Of tue time invisible,
as it is usually converted into vapor. When this
exhalstion comes from the skin, it is known as the
insensible perspnation when invisible, aud when
seen in the form Of drops it is known as sweat
The vapor from the lungs aud that from the skin
being much the same, the account given of the one
is equally applicable to the other.
In a state Of health these fluids are somewhat
saltish the smell is peculiar, and, when they are
kept in a close vessel in warm place, it becomes
almost upportable-showing that with the salts
there is also some amount of animal matter.
The perspiration has been sometimes differently
scented it has had the odor Of sulphur, Of acids of
the violet or of musk it has also been excessively
fetd Ithas at times been seen variously colored
red, saffron, black, or blue-and this without
much or any apparent disease.
These facts show that it possesses properties
derived from the body which ought not to remain
in the body inasmuch as the perspiring process is
one Of d(puration or cleansing to the extent Of %
ounces in "a hours. 1t must therefore be positively
injurious to be re breathing atmosphere loaded
with substances thrown off on account of the ne
cessities of the body requiring their removal
Without going more deeply into the science Of the
subject or inquiring into the nature of the deeter
Gus substances thrown out, it must be readily ad
mitted that poison viii again be taken into the
system by breathing such contaminated air.
As was just remarked, these exhalations arise
from those parts of the body that in contact with
the atnosphere-the lungs and the skin. The In
tensity of the action Of the particles must be in
proportion TO the number Of persons confined in a
certain amount of the air, from whose bodies these
particles arise, the amount and violence Of disease
which may exist, and the degree of heat and other
conditions of the surrounding air.
The influence OF the crowd in limited space in
developing poisonous condition in the air will de-
pend, therefore, lst. Upon the actual condition of
the bodies whence the noxous particles arise, such
IS high degree of animal temperature, and the
existence Of contagious diseases; and ID. Upon the
external circumstances existing at the time, such
as climate, season, dryness or humidity, electric
condition and barometrical state of the Alms
House.
The action of exhalations above, Independently
of any disease in the body, always depends on the
number of people collected, controlled of course by
the external conditions already mentioned of atmos
pheric temperature, etc. These emanations do not
| act except in limited space in which the people
| are crowded. When those sick with contagious
diseases are crowded, the bodies Of the sick be-
come the centers of disease when a crowd does
not exist those thus diseased had comparatively
but little influence on those near them AS to Ger.
tain diseases they are aspecies OF indus or nursing
place, terminating the seeds and extending the
disease by species OF development. An Illus
tration may be given in the caseof Cholera. What
ever be the origin Of that disease, it will suddenly
appear at times in a spot that has been entirely
free from it; and apparently connected with the
large mass Of people there assembled. Why it
should be Cholera and nothing else, appears to be
because the seeds Of the disease had either been
brought or left tc be mstured when circumstances
should exist favorable for their development Such
was the case with The Cholera that appeared on
Wards Island in January last. Not the slightest
trace Of it had remained for several months. The
immigrants arrived healthy, butthe buildings were
greatly crowded-two thousand persons being on
the Island, when the disease suddenly appeared
and continued few weeks with great fatality. II
the ingenious theory OF its vegetable fungus origin