The morning call., 1892-12-30
Police Surgeon
X. e. Williams
Makes Some,
CO
Alarming
Statements

leT- 6dIW0Ou: nave
.. learned to tell whether person. has been
killed by coalgas by simply piercing the
skin. The very. moment the dissectfng-
knife enters the flesh a stream of thin
2 blood, a bright carmine In color, flows freely
from the iucision. 1t is just about the color
: snd consistency of the carmine ink In
common use.
s= when death is due to any other cause
the blood coagulates and is of a da TX
. brown color.
There is. no: way Of telling lust how
long it would require to: kill person with
gas, but it would certainly take but a very
short time, especially If introduced directly
TO the lungs. If you were suddenly intro
'daeed into the center OF room filed with
s gas you would be lucky if you were able to
reach The door,.
you frequently read In the papers Of
people being found unconscious from gas
asphyxiatiOn, bnt did you ever notice how
few OF the nj. recover. though still alive when
found? It,: IS very rare, indeed. for if any
conslderable:Quant has been inhaled the
blood has been SO 3hoFoughly poisoned that
recovery is almost possible.
People are frequently found asphyxiated
p In rooms which were fairly well yentilate d
and that fact alone proves-its deadly quality
? s"If the gas really asphyxiated there
would not be hall tie danger from it. Any
thing which asphyxiates simply clogs the
lungs and cannot be respirated. II works
no change in the blood but leaves it in the
: lungs as it fuds it. Gradually ir becomes
80 impure that death ensGes.
-: Ihe effect OF gas entirely different It
F. Is respirated, and, entering the blood, works
physiological changes. which thins it and
changes II TO the bright carmine color and
causes death. :-5..
. That is exactly what renders II 80 danger.
sous- When person Is asphyxated, prop
erly speaking. the clogging OF the lungs
g causes feeling of great oppression and
struggles follow: II any enc should at
tempt to suff0este: you with pillow while
you were asleep the oppression would
awaken you and you would struggle.
so with chLoroform or ether 1t is
almost impossible to put person under the
Influence of ether while he Is asleep, as the
sense of sufocatioG awRkens him almost
instantly and the struggle TO free himself
follows.
q. with gas 1t is exactly the reverse. Its
.e'e effect is to calm and quiet like a narcotic.
The person who fnhaies gas while asleep
softly passesinto the sleep that knows no
waking There is no feeling of oppression
that warns him tostruggle for his life. II
BY chance he should awaken he is too far
gone to realize the cause of his great dro wsi-
:: ness and drops Immediately to sleep again.
e he is never gwen chance to throw open a
: window and let In the fresh air that ould
:. save his life"
-. IF the gas in use here was less deadly il
would tend to asphyxiate rather than
TO poison. II would awaken Its victims and
: they could save themselves By rushing in to
the fresh air. Even if they were NOT awak-
ened they would probably be found in time
to save their lives. .
That is why belleyethat go per cent of
:: the deaths from coal gas during the past
year could have been averted IL proper gas
OF more expensive quality was manufac-
:. tured. In minimizing the cost Of manufae-
ture the gas companies have maxlmized the
:: danger
-, Thomas Price. the chemist, has made a
study OF this matter and when questioned d
: had the facts and formulas al his fingers
=. ends.
: The poisonous quality of the gas in use
here. said ne. sis due 10 the large percent
sge OF carbon nionoxide it contains. In
Massachusetts tie law prescribes that ali
gas manufactured for :....................o......
Illuminating purpos- Thomas p-;o.
es shall not contain:
more than per cent: there Is far
" nohoAide' too much carbon
while our gas con-
tains from IS to 2Oper moncxide in the gas.
cent carbon monox- :...........................;
fde. There their gas is manufactured after
the old mode-that is by the distillation Of
f. ~
gen. hydrocarbons and minor percentages OF
carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
''The cheaper method in use here is to heat
coal in retorts to incandeseence and pour
steam over II, forming gas which contains
principally carbon monoxide and carbon
dioxide with hydrocarbon in minor quanii-
ties. This is not Illuminating until it has
passed through petroleum aud then coal
gas to give 1t an odor Until coal gas is
mixed with it IL is practically odorless.
.sIse affect when inhaled is not To aspbyx-