The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-01-20
Hints in Hygiene.

From the November number of that
most excellent journal the Herald Of
Health, we compile the following practi-
cal hints for the preservation of health
cARBoNIc OXIDE.
This is a colorless and almost inodor-
ons gas, containing one part of oxygen
less than carbonic acid. 1t may be seen
burning with beautiful blue fame on
the top of q newly fed coal fire. Ii Is
much more poisonous than carbonic acid,
and must be guarded against with care.
1t forms 'abundantly in our coal stoves,
and presses through their cracks and
Joints into our rooms. 1t escapes from
the gas fame when the pressure is so
great that more gas flows than can be
burned; it forms and escapes from char
coal burning in the open air or IN hre-
places, and may escape into sleeping
rooms through open stove pipes or bro
ken fues in chimneys, or half burning
wood behind the ceiling, in this way
greatly injuring those sleeping therein.
Even the ordinary smoke that escapes
from smoky stoves and freplaces may
contain it, and persons thus breathing 1T
be injured thereby. One Of the effects of
carbonic oxide on the blood is that its
power to take in oxygen is greatly les
sened, and the separating of carbonic
from the blood retarded.
CANDLE-wICK GAS.
The composition of this smoke is car
buretted hydrogen, carbonic oxide, burnt
olein, etc. When putting out candle
light before going to bed, always do it so
that there shall be no burning wick left
to poison the air of the room.
BAKED AIR.
When the air is passed through a hot
furnace and heated to a high degree, and
then passed into room, such air should
be called baked air, and il is about as
bad form Of lung food as can be taken.
Nothing but headache, faintness, drowsi-
ness and dullness can come from its use
HOW HOUSE AIR Is SPOILED.
The following facts will show how the
air in houses becomes contaminated:
l. An adult person consumes 81
grammes OF oxygen per hour, gramme
being equal to l5 grains.
2 A stearin candle consumes about
one-half as much.
g. An adult gives off 40 grammes per
hour OF carbonic acid. A child OF 80 lbs
weight gives off as much as ali adult Of
100 lbs. weight.
T. A schoolroom filled with children
WILL if not well ventilated, at the. begin
ming. of the hour contain 2J parts in
1000 of carbonic acid, at the end of the
first hour Al, and end Of the second hour
81.
5. The air is also spoiled by the per-
spiration of the body, and by the volatile
oils given out through the skin. An
adult gives off through the skin in "a
hours from 500 to 500 grammes Of water
mixed with various excrements, poison
Gus if breathed.
6. A stearin candle gives off per hour
O4 cubic feet of carbonic acid, and 0 03
ID. of water.
I. Carbonic oxide is much more dan
gerous gas than carbonic acid, and this
obtains entrance to our rooms in many
ways, through tho cracks in stoves and
defective stove pipes, or when the car
bonic acid of the air comes in contact
with very hot stove and is converted
into carbonic oxide. The dust of the
air may, on q hot stove, be burnt to pro-
duce it; or it may flow out from our gas
pipes when the gas is not perfectly con-
sumed.
s. Another form of air injury is the
dust of fungus growth which fills the
air in damp and warm places. We call
it miasm from want of true knowl-
edge of its character
9. Accidental vapors are the crowning
source of air poisoning. These are to-
cacco smoke, kitchen vapors, wash room
vapors, and the like.
10. When we heat our houses and
close them from outside air, the heat
turns the mixture into a vile mess unfit
for breathing. The only remedy is ven
tilation. Now that it is cold weather
and our rooms are closed from free cur.
rents of outside air. let us look after the
matter thoroughly and do our best TO
prevent injury to ourselves from polluted
air