The Worthington advance., 1882-09-21
Gas Stoves and Oil Stoves.

1t is Well-known fact that an individ-
llal confined in a small, air-tght cham
Der would soon die, poisoned by hisown
| breath. The reason is that the oxygen
(meaning acid makcr), the only stinu.
'ating and vitalizing constituent of pure
air, and without which life cannot con-
tinue, if largely exhausted by respira-
ton and its place taken by another gas.
the carbonic acid gas, which is so de-
structive of life that no animal can exist
in it beyond few minutes. Man, and
all animals, take in, by breathing, the
| oxygen, which is part of pure air, and
1t IS absorbed into the blood through the
lungs, and distributed to all parts of the
body by the circulation of the blood.
But oxygen, while it gives vitality and
force to the body, also, while accom-
pushing that purpose, helps make car
bonic acid gas, the destroyer Of life. The
oxygen meets everywhere the worn
out material Of the body and burns it.
ihis worn out material is kind OF fuel,
winch the oxygen consumes, or, in 9TH
er words, decomposes and then COM
bines with one of the constituents Of the
fuel (carbon) and the product is waterv
Slpor and carbonic acid gas carbon and
oxygen unitcd) This gas is thrown out
OF the body while breathing, and the
oxygen taken in, and thus, if there isa
deficiency of pure air, the poisoned air
accutnulates and the individual suffers
from the delaterious effects of the car
bon!c gas to Il greater or less Degree in
proposition to the confinement Of the air
IN which he Is placed. It is known that
there is no surer mode of destroying
life than that by burning charcoal in !,
closed room. Charcoal is nearly pure
carbon. BY starting the process Of com
bustlon viii a match, the combination
OF the charcoal (carbon) and the oxygen
(acld OF the air goes
u'nes OF somewhat heavy, tasteless and
invisible (carbonic acidD gas, which will
destroy life when it forms a tenth part
or much less Of the breathing medium
The basis Of illuminating gas is carbon,
and SO also Of all the oils. The product
OF burning oil, or fluid derived from oil,
IS nearly the same as in the process of
breathing, or in the combustion of char
coal; that is, almost wholly watery yapor
and the poisonous carbonic gas. It will
he understood then wherein the danger
lies in the use of gas stoves and oil stoves
for cooking or heating. These stoves
are great convenience and comfort.
They are a:so economical. For the pur-
pose of moderate cooking they are to be
recommended; but with proviso. The
proviso is that there must be
complete ventilation; unobstructed
ingress and egress of atmospheric
gas, kerosene oil or any of its products,
or any other oils, results in the produc-
ton of the deadly carbonic acid gas, and
the greater the quantity consumed the
greater the danger, other circumstances
being equal, where attention is not paid
to ventilation. When using either, there
fore, have the windows or the door ajar.
They are then as safe as any stove for
cooking. For warming rooms it is obvi-
Gus that neither gas nor oil stoves can be
recommended. With complete ventila-
ton, which is an absolute necessity to
assure safety, the requisite warmth would
scarcely be secured with the desired
| comfort and economy.
Let no one be deceived by the assur-
ance of any dealers that in their stoves
the smoke is all consumed. They may
assert that the absence Of smell is the
proof Of Ihe consumption of all harmful
products, but such assertions can have
no fundamental in fact.