The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1851-07-16
Consumption and Oxygen.

than to bad habits. We now offer few re
marks upon its treatment. The old mur
derous practice of bleeding, under which tn
patient was sure of DEATH is generally explo
ded, except among a few old physicians, es
pecially in New York, who discard ever,
new idea. Modern practice is far less ex
haustive of vital energy, and therefore not St
Immediately fatal; and the faculty are begin
ming to believe that consumption will sool
be as much within their curative power, a
most othT diseases.
We know not if oxygen gas has ever beer
tried in consumption, If it has not. the 0
mission is singular, and might indicate
want of inductive reasoning. If it has beer
and failed, was the trial thorough? Was i
applied soon enough, or before the paten
was reduced beyond all curative power
Was it persevered in? And if not, die
the patients die through relapse after it,
discontinuance? If all these questions, anc
many others that we could ask, haze no
been considered, we reply, Try If they
haze been considered, we say, Try again
We assume as first difficulty in consump
ton, acaW Of oxygen. This gas, constituting
about 25 parts in 100 of the atmosphere, is
inhaled in respiration, mixed with the blooc
in the lungs, and carried throughout the sys
tenn by the arteries. For what purpose
10 impart to the system, as We 6elieve, tha
vital principle coloric or electricity. 1t ren.
ders the blood fluid and red. The blood
thus distributed by the arteries, is taken ur
by the veins, less fluid and nearly black, and
carried to the lungs for new dose of oxy-
gen. The nitrogen of the atmosphere, about
rs parts in 100, is resptred or breathcd out,
after the oxygen is separated from it in the
lungs, excepting, perhaps, a small portion
that may be distributed through the system
for some necessary purpose, Does the OK
ygen thus separated and sent through the
system, return through the lunes? Yes;
but i'll new combination. It's mixed with
CARTON in the system, and respired as CARLO
nc acid. therefore one, if not principal
office of this oxygen, is carrying Of sapetfu-
oaS carbon through respiration.
If this be true, consumptive patients ought
to exhibit an excess of carbon; or rather they
ought to exhibit symptoms similar to those
apparent where carbon is known to be in ex-
cess. Why? Because the lungs, whether
through destruction of substance, as in case
of suppuration or tuberclcs, OF diminution OF
energy, without such destruction cannot I'M
bibe and distribute a full dose of oxygen.
They cannot imbibe enough, or properly dis
pose of all which they do imbibe; and hence
a full quantity ofcarbon is not converted and
expelled. Nor is this the only difficulty; for
the debility is general, affecting every fhnc-
ton, whether circulative, digestive, or cxcre-
tive, and thus obstructs all the natural ave
nues for the expulsion of carbon. Dosymp-
toms indicate this? The aOAite,sess about the
eyes, bf@eness Of Me lips, livid complexion
OF the face, headace, and several other symp-
toms well known by the Faculty, are pre-
cisely those which appear in patients poison
ed by burning charcoal. In such patients
carbon is well known to be in excess, and be-
cause they have copiously inhaled both car
bonlc acid, or carbon and oxygen, and car
bon alone. Werespectfully ask the Faculty
to inform us of the symptoms in other cases,
where they have reason to believe in or sus-
pect an excess of carbon; for if the symptoms
in such eases are similar to any in consump-
ton, similarity in cause may be inferred.
Scrofula is frequent source of consumption,
especially tuberculous. The disease prevails
in cold, damp, variable climates. As vegc-
tation is the principal known source of oxy-
gen for the atmosphere, and as vegetation
supplies most when the sun is most power
ful, are cold, damp, climates deficient in OK
ygen? And does this deficiency cause the
accumulation Of carbon in the system? And
If SO, has this excess any connection with
consumption SO frequent in seorfula? We
are told that scorfula is frequently in Eng
land, in large manufacturing towns. Is ear
bon in excess there through the agency OF
steam engines? We ask these questions
merely as suggestions to those much better
able to investigate such subjects.
If our hypothesis be well founded, would
the administration ofoxygen gas in consump-
ton, by inhalation, be beneficial? Let us
suppose the lungs so far impaired in energy,
as to imbibe only one fourth of the natural
quantity ofoxygen. Inhaling pure oxygen
under such circumstances, would furnish a
full natural dose, which would oxygcnatc the
full natural quantity of carbon, and thussoon
convert and expel the excess. The obstruc-
ton being thus gradually removed, every
obstructed function might gradually recover
its healthy, normal condition. Inhaling va
pors largely supplied with oxygen gas, bur-
ming rosin, tar, and similar substances, has
long been known by the Faculty as useful in
consumption. Here they aseribe the whole
benefit to oxygen. If then oxygen thus di-
lated be beneficial, would not pure oxygen
DC more so? We ask for information. And
If oxygen would be salutary, chemists can
readily devise some cheap and expeditions
mode of procuring it, Nitrate of potass, Oh
saltpetre. peroxide Of manganese, and Sc YER
al other substances, contain it largely
Chemists obtain it by putting peroxide Of
manganese, mixed with sulphuric acid, (oil
of vitirol, in a glass retort over a lamp, and
gather the oxygen in a jar inverted over wa
ter, through a tube leading from the retort
An India-rubber bag, with a stop-cock, would
answer the purpose Of the jar. One pound
and two Of, sulphuric acid will
yield 1000 cubic inches, or.seven gallons u
pure oxygen. Nitrate Of potass contains OK
ygen largely, which can be obtained by mix
ing the salt with sulphuric acid, which has a
greater affinity for potass than nitric acid.
BY putting saltpetre and oil of yitriol (nitrate
of potass and sulphuric acid Pinto glass re-
tort, connected by a tube with an India rub