The Southern herald., 1889-05-10
VALUE or PURE AIR.
why People Have Headache and
Nausea.
Unpleasant Sensations the Result Of Lack
OF VontilatIon-The Destroying EIe-
ment, Impure Air, Continually
sapping Our Life Blood.

OF VontilatIon--The Destroying EIe-
mont, Impure Air, Continually
sapping Our Life Blood.
The atmosphere we breathe has in its
natural state nearly uniform compost
ton Of oxygen, nitrogen, carbonic
acid and watery vapor. It 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 It is high, and during
digestion, it Is greater than when the
stomach is empty.
Dr. Smith gives the quantity Of air
ordinarily present in the lungs as about
twelve pints, The volume Of air taken
inthe lungs in an ordinary inspiration
isone 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
fve-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 i 22,882 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 1928
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 'Fblue 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.
/. 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 nom the system through the
lungs and skin are formed.
Try the following simple experiment
and 1t will explain the Interchange Of
fluids in the lungs: Put mixture Of
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 obstacle
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 vspor in the expired air can be
proven by the following: Breathe into
lime water, and in a few minutes it will
become milky white color. This is
owing to the carbon given of by the
breath uniting with the lime, forming
the carbonate Of lime; second, breathe
upon cold, dry mirror, and it will
quickly be covered with moisture. Thii
is condensed vapor from the lungs
which in warm weather is invisible il
the expired air, but on q cold, dry
morning in winter is quite obvious. Th'
lungs give of other impurities besid,
carbon, the qualities Of which vary il
different persons. The disagreeabl'
and offensive breaths Of people may b
caused by decayed teeth. but more Offer
by secretions in the lungs A substance
which previously existed ID the system
Riding in the steam and hors,
cars, we are compelled to breathe no
only the air from peoples lungs. bu
the exhalations from their skins ant
clothing. Fancy riding in the stean
cars for a long distance in the wintel
time, with two large stoves heated al
most red-hot with anthracite coal. in |
space Of say fifteen feet wide and tel
feet high. This space viii contain abou
eighty people, and is closely shut up
Every one knows the stove uses up OK
| ygen with great rapidity, and what
left Is breathed over and over again b,
the people, who are giving out from
their lungs constantly gas utterly un
fit to be breathed.
Is 1t any wonder headache and nau
| sea steal over themp They must eithe
sit in draught or endure the poison
as the ventilators are not enough =
carry off the foul air.
Visit some school-houses after q wall
in the fresh air, and the odor is some
thing disgusting. These unpleasan
sensations come from want Of create