Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-04-20
VALUE OF PURE AIR.
why People Have Headache and
Nausea.
Unpleasant Sensations the Result Of Lack
of ventllatlon--The Destroying Elc-
ment, Impure Air, Continually
eapping Our Life Blood.

ment, Impure Air, Continually
eapplng Our Life Blood.
The atmosphere we breathe has in its
natural state nearly uniform compost
tion of oxygen, nitrogen, carbonic
acid and watery vapor. 1t is conceded
that in each inspiration four cubic
inches is taken into the lungs, one
half Of which disappears in act of in
spiration. This consumption OF oxy-
gen is greater when the temperature is
low than when 1t is high, and during
digestion, it is greater than when the
stomach is empty.
DIR. Smith gives the quantity Of air
ordinarily present in the lungs as about
twelve pints. The volume of air taken
in the lungs in an ordinary inspiration
is one pint, while the expired air is lit
tie less than pint. The amount of air
received in the lungs at one inspiration
is decomposed by lone action of the
heart, and this is decomposed in the
flYe-sixths part of one second of time.
These circuits are performed every
eight minutes; $40 circuits then are
performed in "a hours. The whole
volume of air decomposed in that length
Of time is 22,SS2 cubic inches, exactly
$40 times the volume Of lung contents.
In "a hours 81 hogsheads of air flow to
the lungs; in the same time "a hogs
heads Of blood are given to the lungs in
this quantity OF air.
In the action between the quantities
OF air and blood, the air loses 32S
ounces of oxygen, and the blood 10
ounces of carbon. All the respiratory
apparatus cooperate in bringing the air
and blood nearly in contact. The all
wise Creator thus gives us the means
to purify our dark "blue blood" and
turn it into bright "red blood which
contains the principles essential to life
and good health.
Two theories hold good to explain
the formation Of carbonic acid and
vapor Of water given off by the system.
l. The carbon is converted into car
bonic acid and hydrogen into watery
vapor in our lungs by mixing with the
oxygen of the inspired air.
2. in the lungs the oxygen separates
from the nitrogen and unites with the
blood; in the general circulation a
chemical union of carbon, hydrogen
and oxygen is effected, by which the
carbonic acid and watery vapor elimin-
ated from the system through the
lungs and skin are formed.
Try the following simple experiment
and it will explain the interchange Of
fluids in the lungs: Put a mixture ol
water and alcohol in bottle and leave
uncOrked, the water and alcohol have a
greater affinity for air than for each
other. Alcohol having the greatest
affinity for the air will be diffused
through it more readily than the water
when there is no intervening obstaclei
but tie piece of bladder over the
mouth of the bottle, let it stand few
days, the water will leave the alcohol
and pass through the bladder.
The presence of carbonic acid and
watery vapor in the expired air can be
proven by the following: Breathe into
lime water, and in few minutes it will
become a milky white color. This is
owing to the carbon given off by the
breath uniting with the lime, forming
the carbonate of lime; second, breathe
upon a cold, dry mirror, and it will
quickly be covered with moisture. This
is condensed vapor from the lungs
which in warm weather is invisible IL
the expired air, but on a cold, dry
morning in winter is quite obvious. The
lungs give off other impurities beside
carbon, the qualities of which vary il
different persons. The disagreeablt
and offensive breaths of people may bt
caused by decayed teeth, but more offer
by secretions in the lungs Of substance.
which previously existed in the system
Riding in the steam and horse
cars, we are compelled to breathe mo-
only the air from peoples lungs, but
the exhalations from their skins ani
clothing. Fancy riding in the steam
cars for long distance in the winter
time, with two large stoves heated al
most red-hot with anthracite coal, in {
space of say fifteen feet wide and ter
feet high. This space will contain abou
eighty people. and is closely shut up
Every one knows the stove uses up OK
ygen with great rapidity. and what i
left is breathed over and over again by
the people. who are giving out from
their lungs constantly gas utterly un
fit to be breathed.
Is it any wonder headache and nau
sea steal over themp They must eithel
sit in draught or endure the poison
as the ventilators are not enough Il
carry Off the foul air.
Visit some school-houses after wall
In the fresh air, and the odor is some
thing disgusting. These unpleasant
1 49,. r-,,,, -,