The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1863-03-19

Set a pitcher of water in a room, and
ia few hours 1t will have absorbed
nearly all tho respired aud pcrsFired
gases in the room, the air Of which will
have become utterly filthy. The colder
tho water is, the greater its capacity to
contain these gases. AT ordinary TEN
poratures, it will absorb pint OF car
bonic acid gas, and large quantity OF
. ,"nia. This capacity is nearly doubled
by reducing tho water to the temrera
,urc Of ice. Hence water kept in q
room for \ while is unfit for use. Fo,
tho same reason the water III pump
stock should always be pumped out IN
The morning, before any is used. I'm
pure water is more inju'ious than I'M
pure air.
The above paragraph we quote from
al exchange; it contains some truth,
but more error. II asserts that a pitcher
ut water placed in a room will absorb
r-arly all the perspired and resp'rcd
g-n~c. in the room in 4 lew hours, with.
ont any reference to the size Of the
pitcher or the number Of persons in the
room; although it adds with the sem
b!mce Of precision, that "it will absorb
q pin, Of carbonic acil gas AMI a large
quantity Of ammonia" Water has a
wonderful power in the ABSORPTION OF
gases, but not TO the extent set forth in
the above extract. We will give the
science of the subject. At the ,e'npera.
tire Of 60 deg. Fab, water will absorb
its own bulk Of carbonic acid gas.
nitrous oxide, and hydrosulphuric acid,
hut only 90 per cent Of its bulk Ct
hydrogen. River and lake water CON
'ains about ? Is per cent Of its bulk Of
air, but it is remarkable that this air
contains 80 per cent Of oxygen. while
atmospheric air contains only 2i per
cent of Oxygen. AS air is expelled from
water by heat, the air in room is much
invisorated by the evaporation Of wa
der placed upon a heater or stove in it,.
Al attitudes Of s 900 feet water does not
contain one per cen, Of mir, hence fishes
cannot 1--we in Alpine lakes, as the guam.
t'ty of air in the wa,cr is not sufficient
for their respiration. Il is al nonsense
to state that pitcher Of water placed in
room exercises the least noticeable
= fleet in rurit. ing the atmosphere by alb.
sorbing the ga-scs expelled from the
lungs OF persons. The amount If air
required for respiration per minute by
full grown man is one gallon. and two
Cubic feet per minute are rendered I'M
tit Tor breathing by the carbonic acid
gas expelled fr' m the lungs. 1t would
therefore require 4 pitcher n'airinc
$50 gallons Of water to absorb the yit.
lated air Of a room in which there was
but on> person, and the water would
have 10 be renewed every hour.
Ammonia is neither pcrspircd or re.
frircd. Carbonic acid gas and tie Va
por ii water are expelled from the
lungs in the act Of breathing. This i
the gas which impar,s the sparkle 70
wines and soda water. /, is formed in
the lungs by the oxygen Of the inhaled
air combining with tic carbon in the
blood. The phenomena Of breathing
involves remarkable mcc. anical ana
chemical problems. The air il no,
hrongh: into direct contact with the
blood in the lungs it is spread over an
extensive membrancous surface. and the
carbon Of the blood passes through This
membrane and unites chemically with
two equivalents Of the oxygen, thu,
forming carbonic acid gas snch chcmi.
cal action is slow combustion. Wher
taken into the stomach, carbonic acid
gas is rarAer celebrating; it is onl,
poisonous 10 the haman system wher
inhaled by the lungs. Scientific Am.
ericon