Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-12-08
AN OXYGEN DRUNK.
The story Young Man Told OF His Ex-
perience in This Line.

perienCe IN luts Line.
A slim young man walked briskly up
Broadway last evening. There was
nothing striking about his personal ap-
pearance except his chest, which swell
ed out as If il would rip the buttons off
his coat. AT Canal street the crowd
blocked his way. He scOwled, looked
angry, and then great white cloud
issued from his lips.
Twenty" he muttered. Hisuchest
fell TO normal size, but only for mo-
ment, for dlsengaging himself from the
hurrying thrOng, he caught his former
swinging gait, his shoulders went back,
and his chest rose again TO its full prom
inence.
A Sun young man recognized him as
lawyer in the Equitable building, with
whom he had an acquaintance. He
tapped him on the arm and said: TAX
ing your constitutional
NO, l am out on my daily drunk. |
see you look surprised. Yes, you're
right; l don't drink, but have way
10 get eXhilarated on oxygen: and so |
take an air spree every day. | learned
the trick by accident year ago. l live
in Clinton place. As had been con-
fined in the Office every day, last
Thanksgiving year ago found myself
suffering IRON symptoms of pneumonia.
believed breathing would cure me, and
one evening in walking from Park place
home | tried on how many eXhalationS |
could walk TO Clinton place, twenty-five
blocks OF varying Size, making dis
lance of a mile and half.
AT first found itdifiicult to hold my
breath for more than Il few PAGES, but
by the time | reached Prince street my
lungs were working better. was in
profuse perSpiration from head to foot.
1t seemed that had discovered depths
in my lungs | never thought existed.
Every Inhalation seemed to 90 down to
my very shoes. Ny feet felt light, and
| seemed to eat up the distance.
las | neared Clinton place began to
feel distressed. knew now that | did
too much nj first. Various colorS flash
ed before my eyes. When my breath
went out | felt peculiarly empty. On
arriving AT Clinton place had Il sharp
shooting pain across my temples When
stood still il seemed as if my head
would burst. But this feeling gradual
Is passed away, and in half an hour !
was feeling splendid.
Il noted down the count of brcathS
that first night. Here they are:
From Park place to Canal street. SD
From Park place TO Prince street. . go
From Park place to Clinton street. BIS
Il kept up the practice from that day,
and my lung capacity has so increased
that last Thursday | walked the same
distance in - breathS. having nearly
doubled by breathing forces. My chest
measurement year ago was b inches,
now il is forty. | have not had Il touch
Of pulmonary trouble since that day.
A few days after my first trial | tested
my lungs in trip over the Brooklyn
bridge. The walk of 5,9s9 feet. 200 feet
over a mile. was made on - breathS.
Last week did the same distance on 30
breathS in the face of a Stifr raw wind"
Has your increased lung capacity
been of any other practical benefit To
you?"
Eyes. A few months ago | was 4
hotel fire in the West. was one of the
last awakened. My room was full Of
smoke. | put wet towel over my
mouth. and through it drew one OF my
long breaths. On that single inhala-
ton made my way through the smoke
filled halls. Had taken one breath of
the smoke | would have become con-
fused and would never have got out
alive. | am firmly convinced that if
people knew how to hold their breath
there would be fewer deaths at fires.
"Agoin last summer. | was commu-
ter on the Lackawanna, living at
Orange. The train occupies about
minute and a quarter passing through
the HobOkcn tunnel. Instead of breath
ng in the smoke and and cinderS during
the passage, | went through comfort
ably on one breath drawn at the en-
trance. | can now hold my breath
over minute and u half, where year
ago forty-fvc seconds was my usual
limit My tendency to become round
Shouldorod has entirely disappeared,
my step has become elastic, and my APP
petite ravenOuS. | have all of my
clothes very loose, TO give room for ex-
panSiOn in my walks.