Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-04-08

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How DOES OXYGEN Act CURATIVE
Ly.-Why some substances act as eme-
tics and others as cathartics, diuretics,
! diaphoretics, tonics, &C., no one can
tell; still less can any one tell why each
substance in all of these classes has,
besides the above-stated general action,
specific or Alternative action which
distinguishes it from every other sub
stance in its class. So also we may not
know how oxygen acts to support ami
NAL life, because We can never know any.
thing of the interior nature of life.
But as chemists and Psychologists
We do know enough of its action when
taken into the lungs to make that knowl-
edge worth the stating.
When we breathe ordinarily we in
hale certain quantity of atmospheric
air, and immediately exhale or breathe
out four-ffths of what we inhaled; that
is, all the nitrogen, something besides.
as we shall See. The other one-fifth,
nearly all the oxygen, is absorbed into
the system. Now whatever else this
vital element may do in the body, it
performs that most important Office,
the purifcation OF the blood. and this
is the method Of doing it: One hal:
of the heart is always engaged in pump
ing the blood that has been collected
from all parts of the body into the
lungs. Here this blood, dark and i'm.
pure from being loaded with kind OF
charcoal or carbon, the worn-out tissues
of the body, comes SO near to the air
inhaled that nothing lies between the
blood and the hair but a most delicate
filmy membrane, so atfenuated that the
oxygen is instantly absorbed through
it into the blood. Here it Immediately
forms chemical union with the carbon
which it finds in the blood, thus sener-
atine carbonic acid gas; and this gas
passes as readily through the same
membrane, to be exhaled with the
breath, as the oxygen did in the oppo-
site direction. The carbonic acid gas
is the something besides which is breathed
out with the nitrogen.) The blood is thus
relieved Of its impurities, and left OF
bright crimson color, and in this state
it is returned to the other half of the
heart, to be again sent on its life and
health dispensing round. Again it i.
returned to the lungs loaded with more
impurities, thus ever completing the
circle Of life.
If you put some dark blood, such as
may be taken from the veins, into ial
containing pure oxygen, and asitat.
the two together, the blood will readi.
ly change its color to bright red, like
that found in the arteries.
We are now prepared to understand
how bountiful supply of oxygen may
act to restore a diseased body to stat,
of healthy activity.
Owing to many customs and habit.
incident to our artificial civilized mod,
of living, none of us get as much oxy
gen as the best welfare of our bodie.
requires. This long continued deficien
cy of vital air is enough of itself (,
work indefinite mischief to our well-be
ing. Setting aside the first effect o
such "short commons" which Is t,
make us less vigorous, the second, an,
BY far the oreimportant, result is, tn,
blood never gets properly purified il
the lungs, simply because not enough
, oxygen is admitted to the blood to dis
solve out the carbon. The blood beins
thus sent back into the system onl,
partially relieved of its impurities, thes
of course clog its channels of circula
ton and cause distractions to all tn,
vital actions of the body.
But this is not all, nor the worst
These impurities not only serve rs hin
drances to oil healthy action, but the,
become poisonous III their character
and if they accumulate beyond a Ger
tain amount they cause .blood-poisoned
diseases, such as typhoid, jail, and pu
trid fevers. Our bodies being in con
sequence diseased, overcharged witt
worn-out tissues of the body, re9uir
the aid of artificial or outside agents il
order to be restored to state Of health
The lungs are doing all they can un
der the circumstances to supply tn
necessary amount of oxygen to dissolv
and remove the carbonaceous matter.
but they are not adequate to the tasi
Now what more reasonable mode Q
! procedure can there be than to furnis
|. supply Of air much richer in oxyger
the only agent which can act as q sol
, vent and remover Of those matters:
The blood, coming in contact wit
the overplus of oxygen, seizes it wit
avidity, and in about four minutes ha
distributed q part of it to every porto
, of the body. By this means every ol
! gan has received new installment q
yigor and life. At the same time
large proportion Of worn-out tissue
. dissolved and removed This, of eours'
. lberates the oppressed vital actions "a
..esdy izvisosased) ty removing thos