The morning times., 1895-09-08
OXYGEN WILL KILL.

The cause, il this Is not wen-known "a
regards plants, but Paul Bert has shown
that animals die in an atmosphere over
charged with oxygen as soon as their
blood contains one-third more than the
normal proportion of oxygen. The cause
is that the excess of oxygen dissolvas in the
serum of the blood and in that condition
comes free and uncombined into contact
with the fibrous tissue which 1t kills by
combining with it very much as under a
high temperature it destroys the texture
OF woody fiber by converting it into char
coal. The reason is not clearly understood,
but the fact remains that tissues cannot
stand free oxygen and will take and utilize
that gas only by borrowing it from the
red gIobaIes, which convey it In their
hemoglobn. In other words, living tissues
absorb oxygen indirectly and viii not
tolerate it when directly supplied.
Notwithstanding this, oxygen is none the
less a powerful restorative agent. Like al
poisons, it may be administered in bene-
fetal doses, and a salutary latitude exists
between the normal quantity found in
blood and that at which danger would
begin.
More interesting, perhaps, and more val
| of experiments by NJ Pasteur, that the
micro-organisms which cause fermentation
thrive best when deprived of air. There
| is a somewhat prevalent opi Mon that the
| work which occupies house wives much at
this time OF the year, viz: canning fruit,
is largely dependent upon excluding the
air from the Jars.
Pasteur's experiments teach that the
2 +la nj fg rIy n III. in,
the effort to exclude the ferment microbes
Itwould be better If the air could be allowed
to circulate freely through the material
As a matter of fact, method of canning
now coming into notice does allow such
| circulation. This method closes the can
by MEANS of a pad of cotton-batting. which
strains out the microbes but allows the air
TO pass freely through.
ABOUT FERMENTATION.
The explanation of what occurs in many
cases of ferment is interesting The mi
crobes are supposed to be present in the sub
| stance to be subjected to fermentation.
After time the free oxygen has been con
sumed by these microbes and their sup
ply is exhausted. There is left, however,
| q considerd be amount ofoXygen in the sub
| stance to be fermented. The microbes have
| the power of separating the gas from the
| elements of the substance with which IL
| is combined, and it is this decomposition
| which has been named fermentation. This
! shows that while these micro organisms,
which are named "anaeroGiC" from the
| fact that they do not need air, nevertheless
are obliged TO have oxygen, aud have the
! power to obtain it by decomposition Of
| many materials when they cannot find it
! free.
| Attention is also drawn TO the value of
moisture in the air aud the great useful
ness of forests in any country TO keep the
| amount of moisture up to the proportion
required. 1t is pointed out that the foliage
area of the United States is now four times
| as great as the entire surface of the land,
| and that q diminution of the forests viii
probably materially affect the amount OF
! moisture in the air aud so unfavorably
| change the conditions under which we live
An animal, including man, of course,
breathing in very dry air, viii produce a
much greater quantity OF vapor than when
in moist air If the air be very moist the
exhalation is small and constitutes merely
! restoration to the atmosphere OF the
moisture taken from it. Also plants give off
only a small quantity of moisture where
water vapOr is already abundant, but in
dry air they emit enormous quantities. 1t
has been estimated, for instance, that q
grove of 500 full-gIown healthy trees enlits
nearly 1000 tons of moisture in twelve
hours of daylight.