New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-05-14
HEALTH AND DISEASE.

HEALTH AMI DIoEfoE.
WOOD CHARCOAL AS A DEODoRIzER.-The last re-
port Of the Commissioners of the London Sewers
contains the following testimony-of especial I'M
po,tsnce, now that the hot season is approaching,
respecting the value Of wood charcoal as deodor-
izer:
1--WE have" says the report "in common wood
charcoal powerful means of destroying the foul gases
If severe How it j. to applied, is question Of little
ON harrassneut. Veutilaie the sewers rs you Will,
either by the open graiings IN the streets or by the
water pipes Of the houses, or by the pillars 81 the
ssIumns or by tubes carried up at the landlords ex-
neps. from the drains Of every house. or by special
tbss in the public streetsin fact let the gases go
ont the sewers how they will and where they will, you
have but to place small box containing lew PEN
MES worth OF charcoal IN the course oil the dangnt,
ard tLe publication Of the air will be complete. As
far A. We know the strength and endurance OF this
mower are almost unlimited so that when once the ar
f.r has been set up il will last continuously Tor years.
H. .r i,u also upon the draught, is not particularly
;';,iors The temperature Of the sewers, and the
AGENCIES which are now al work in circulating the air
and veutilatug them, will be sufficient to keep up cur
rent of foul mir through the filters; and II these we're
Dultiuled To large extent, the friction OF the gases
men The charcoal would be reduced to Insignificant
amount.
Asys1HEsIs BY CARBosIc AcID.-M. Ozanam pro-
noses the inhalation of carboDic acid, mixed with
certain quantity of air. He states that the effects of
catbopc acid are similar to those of ether but more
fugitive; al d shile, with the latter, the inhalation
should be interrupted at intervals, with carbonic acid
III. reverse il true He afrus that, as oag a. it is
wished to pruong the sleep, the inhalation should be
continued; that they may be continued ten twenty
thirty minutes or more, without danger to life. On
c.asirg the Inhalation, waking is almost immediate
In these experiments no case of sudden death has
been observed as in chloroform. When death is in
prospect, it slowly, and may be- foreseen for
long tine in advance and its progress noted by the
state of the head and that of the pupils Of the eyes
Messrs FeIre and Ozanam have respired the gas sew
era tmes-if not to the production of sleep at least
To feeling its first effects. Its taste is said 10 be
slightly pungent and agreeable Us that of ether;
il excites salvation. IL is proposed to adopt 1t, IN
surgical practice the least dangerous method and
as sufficiently effcacious in ordinary cases.
FscTs CoscERsIsG REsPIRATIos.-Dr. Edward
Smith las communicated to the British Royal Society
the results of twelve hundred of observations
in regard to the quantity of air inspired throughout
the day and night, and under the influence of e1er-
else, food, medicine, temperature, etc. The author
himself was the subject of all the investigations. He
is 80 years of age, six feet in hight, healthy and
strong and with vital capacity of the lungs of $50
cubic inches. From this alton the following
facts derived:
The total quantity of air inspired in "A hours
allowance being made for intervals amounting alto
gether to 30 minutes during which il was not recorded
Was II l. eco cubic inches, or average Of 29.6H
cubic inches per hour and 1896 per minute. The
quantity was much lees during the night than during
the day. There was al increase as the morning ad-
yapc.d and decrease al about ~ in the evening,
Int most suddenly at IL O'Clock at night. During the
day the Quantity increased Immediately after meal,
and H.. subsidized before the next meal but in every
instance il rose az ain Immediately before meal The
rate Of frequency of respiration generally corre-
sponded with the quantity but the extremes Of the
day and night rates were greater. The period Of
greatest paIalelispl va. between tea and supper An
increase was occasoued by meal Only-namely,
breakfast The average depth Of respiration WAS
2e5 cubic irches with a minimum of 1871 cubic inches
in the night, and maximum Of 32.2 cubic inches lat
Ii clock at night
CAUSE OF The FLrrDIrY OF THE BLoop.-Dr.
Richardson, q London physician of some celebrity,
bs. published valuao. paper On the cause of the
fuidty Of the blood. The point Of Dr. Rs researches
consists in the discovery of the vois,e aka, ammo
MA a. constituent Of the living blood, and its escape
from blood sbsuacted from the body. The author
ali proving not only that ammonia Is present in the
blood but that upon lis presence the soubty of the
brine and therefore, the faidty Of the blood, de-
ponds. The peculiarly Of this demonstration Of the
csnse OF the uidy of the blood is, that il explains
The different hypctheses which have previously been
offered ON this question and shows in how far these
hypothesis have approached fell short of the truth
DR.. Richardson points out that ammonia, in combine
tior with carbopc acid gas, is constant constituent
OF the 1r expired in the breath. The presence Of
ammonia in the animal economy, and its evolution in
respiration, is of interest, in that IT connects more
closely the limit that exiss between the animal and
vegetable worries. But the subec, Is of the greatest
Importance in relation the causes nature and treat
neLt Of various diseases.
PoIsosous PRoPERTiEs or BRisT.-Some time
since, H. Reynal, Of the Veterinary School at Ayo,
France, communicated 10 the Imperial Academy Of
Medicine the results of Investigations made by him
upon the poisonous properties acquired by brine after