The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1889-08-09
Monthly Bulletin:-It is q well known

1ASAoAAJ 10 WILL hLOVh
fact that an individual confined in
small, air-tight chamber would soon die,
poisoned by his own breath. The rca-
son is that the oxygen, which is the only
stimulating and vitalizing constituent OF
pure air, and without which life cannot
continue, is largely exhausted by respir-
alton, and its place take by another gas,
the carbonic acid gas, which is so de-
.structive OF life that no animal can exist
in it. Man, and all animals, taking in,
by breathing, the oxygen, which is a
part OF pure air, and it is absorbed into
the blood through the lungs, and is dis
tributed 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 accomplishing that pur-
pose helps make carbolic acid gas, the
destroyer OF life. The oxygen meets
everywhere the worn-out material OF the
body and burns it. This worn out ma
terial is a kind OF fuel, which the oxygen
consumes, or. in other words, decom-
poses, and combines with one of the CON
%stituents OF the fuel (carbon,) and the
product is watery vapor and carbonic
acid gas carbon and oxygen united.)
This gas is thrown out OF the body while
breathing, and the oxygen taken in; and
thus, if there is a deficiency OF pure air,
the pure air accumulates and the indi-
vidual suffers from the deleterious effects
OF the carbonic acid gas to a greater or
less degree, in proportion to the confine-
ment Of the air in which he is placed.
1t is known that there is no surer way
Of destroying life than that by burning
| charcoal in a closed room. Charcoal is
nearly pure carbon. By starting the
process OF combustion or burning the
combination OF charcoal (carbon) and
the oxygen (acid maker) OF the air goes
on with the production Of volumes Of a
somewhat heavy, tasteless and invisible
(carbonic acid) gas, which will destroy
life when it forms q 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
gas or burning oil, or fluid derived from
oil, is nearly the same as in the process
OF breathing, or in the combustion O.
charcoal; that is, almost wholly watery
vapor and the poisonous carbonic acid
gas. It will be understood then wherein
the danger lies in the use OF gas stoves
and oil stoves for cooking or heating
These stoves are a greatcOnvenience and
comfort. They are also economical
For the purposes OF moderate cooking
they are to be recommended; but with a
proviso. That proviso is, that there
must be complete ventilation, unob
structed ingress and egress OF atmos'
pheric air. The combination OF illumin'
ating gas, kerosene oil or any OF it's pro
ducts, or any other oils, results in the
production OF the deadly carbonic acid
gas, and the greater the quantity con
sumed the greater the danger, other Cir
cumstances being equal, where attention
is not paid to ventilation. When using
either, therefore, have the windows open
or the doors ajar. They are then as
safe as any stove for cooking. For
warming rooms it is obvious that neither
gas o oil stoves can be recommended.
With complete ventilation, which is an
absolute necessity to insure safety, the
requisite warmth would scarcely be Sc
cured with the desired comfort and econ
omy. Let no one be deceived by the
assurance OF any dealers that in their
stoves h smoke is all consumed or
THAT all hurtful gasses are consumed.
They may assert that the absence o
smell is the proof Of the consumption o
all harmful products, but such assert
ions can have no foundation in fact.