The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-29
A Cruel Experiment Upon Congress.

nrc practically stricken from the statute
book.
A Cruel Experiment Upon Congress.
Everybody knows what asphyxia means.
IL Is n word derived from the Greek, sigui-
tying, literally, Il temporary or final su'-
pension of the motion of the heart AID
the pulsations OF the arteries. But II IL
used now exclusively to designate "A con-
diton of imperfect or totally suspended
+, spuutiOn in which the h oud Is no longer
oNvgcuutcd by the action of Che air,
irr, spectrvc of the motion ~ the heart,
winch may continue, from the force Of
habit probably, to beat for a long time
after respiration aud conscious lite have
ceased 10 exist in the unhappy subject.
The whole thing /. beautifully illustrated
in an experiment familiar to every mrdI-
cal student, ana indeed to every boy or
girl who has attended a hiah school or an
academy in any part Of the country, AN
experiment in which the learned prof, s.
sor. or simple teacher, as the case may
be, places an unfortunate mouse IN glass
receiver, from which, 10y means of II pump.
the air is exhausted by degrees until the
poor mouse expires tor want of the pri-
mary requisite for breath. II is an inter-
esting but fatal experiment, and has filed
with teas the pity my eyes OF thousands of
pretty school girls.
As il is possible that some of the readers
ol The SUN may not be entirely familiar
with the phenomena of killing animals OF
all degrees from mice up to members Of
Congress, by the process of asphyxation,
We have thought it proper to give the
above explanations preliminary to copy
ing the following paragraph from an ar
tcle IN the Washington gazette Of March
20, discussing the alarming prevalence Of
throat rot in Congress:
"And now We have some startling information
on the subject. Tue Surgenn.tirnetal ~ the
army. II seems, has Investigated this matter ~
ION air Al the CAPITOL ana made rcport,w len
viii he interesting rtadln- t. those mpmuer. 4
tongrrss VINO have been afIlictcd with ~ tnto
,lis tnrYnt rot among Co, l,r,...uen Wis caused
eva conspiracy hc,wttn the Cn9tlo~rs If the
Capitol, wuo u III a new Ncutiatir- app .rtfus of
| tl'ir own % in roduce l9maNe the tnins GER
| tin. they ran the oil! mariin Gown to their
| iuuum capacity II fifteen tnous4tiI feet II
| pure iir per minute. when tley shoulI have
| teen run M To my IN s|,nd feet per tuIuu g,
| thoir capacity beng even beyond that
More than week ago we received from
Washington certain information, which
|
nation into the facts could be made; but
as the matter has got into PRINT, coupled
with the name of the Surgeon-Geneinl OF
the Army, we deem II our duty to our
readers and TO Congress it be not too
| late for the latter 10 benefit by the expo
sure-to give the story, in an abbreviated
form, just n II came to us, without vouch-
| ing for ITS accuracy.
1t has been reported in Washington that
a man OF the name Of ELLIsoN, who
has been engaged here in the bust
ness Of heating and veutlatng build
in-s, after having passed an examination
| before the Eugiucor-il-chief OF the Navy.
was appointed engineer of the IIod ana
of the Capitol, through the influence Of
our NV York delegation, and entered
upon the discharge OF his duties. SO
far all was well. But the charges against
ELLISON are that no sooner was he fairly
installed in his new office than he became
| involved in quarrel with the Archit' ct
Of the Capitol. because the latter would
not recommend the substitution of Il new
vcntilating apparatus of his own instead of
the one III use, aud falling TO get "a. bill
which lac had caused to be prepared passed
| through Congress, abohshing the Office OF
Architect OF the Capitol altogether, he re-
solved upon the device Of asphyNmting
the House of Representatives into u proper
state OF mind and this he proceeded
TO put in execution by running the engines
winch pump fresh air into the House to
only about onc-twentieth of their ca
paciiy.
1t is unnecessary 10 say that we reject
this story rs untrue, for though we know
nothing of ELLISON or of his character, IL
bears every mark of improbablity upon
| its face. Stil il has b cn told in Washing
ton by persons who have opportuui les
for knowing all about Tie affair, and now
that Surgcon-G cneTal BARNES name has
been publicly mentioned in connection
with IL, Mr.. ELLISON should certainly de-
mand an investigation. If in going 10
| Washington congressman have not only to
run the risks to health and life resulting
from the necessity of iuhalng the noxous
gases escaping from Boss SHEPHERDS de-
feclive and absurd sewers but likewise to
subject themselves TO the further dan
ger of being asphyxiated in the Capt.
tol like mice and guinea pigs in an
exhausted receiver, every reflective mind
will ut once admit that the general tone Of
| Congress will inevitably be deteriorated
even below its present point.
How Simon Did II.