The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-29
ABOUT LIQUID AIR.

In 1899 DR.. A. Campbell White, in the
Vanderbilt Clinic, made experiments
with liquid air in the treatment of
cancers. ulcers, eczema, ETC., and be-
| came so enthusiastic that surgeons and
physicians all over the world were in
clined to regard him as hopeless ia
matte. They have since changed their
opinion. DR.. White claims the coined
word, "radaerotherapy." indicating a
combination of the X-ray and liquid air
treatments. The difficulty of obtaining
regular supply of liquid air retarded
his experiments for years; but to-day
that difficulty is removed. He used to
get days supply at time and keep
it in tin can, and it would all evapor-
ate in a day, whether used or not.
Prof. Dewar of London invented a glass
bulb in which a gallon can be kept for
three weeks. The difficulties of appli-
cation have almost entirely disappear
ed, and "radaerotherapy" promises
soon to become as common a practice
as cauteriZation.
To appreciate what liquid air is you
must consider that seventy-two parts
of nitrogen twenty-eight parts of oXy
gen and about Is of l per cent. of car
bonic acid gas constituting the air we
breathe, are reduced to a temperature
of 312 degrees below zero, is it possible
to conceive of a substance 400 degrees
colder than the human body? 1t is
opal-colored and when filtered re-
sembles the atmosphere on a clear day.
The naked hand can be immersed in
it without injury if it is Immediately
withdrawn. The same hand can be
soused into ladle of boiling iron with
out so much as scorching the skin if it
is at once taken out. The liquid air
feels dry and cold, and leaves no mois-
ture on the hand.
Liquid air is not explosive unless
Theoretically sealed. 1t can be carried
about in milk bottle or tomato can,
so long as there is a hole in the top. If
poured in the palm of the hand it pro-
duces a sort of tingling or electric sem
sation. When a cupful is thrown on
the floor it behaves just as water does
when poured on a red-hot stove, siz-
zling, suffering and suddenly disap-
pearing in Vapor, leaving no evidence
behind. When put into an open vessel
il boils very rapidly until the tempera-
ture of the container is so reduced that
its outside is covered with ice. To
touch this coating with the hand causes
frostbite. A lighted match dropped in
to the fresh liquid is instantly extin-
guished, but If dropped after a brief
exposure it burns brilliantly and COM
bustion is perfect. A lighted cigarette
is burned instantly. A piece of steel, If
heated white hot and plunged in.
flashes into beautiful scintillations of
light and is consumed.
Liquid air will transform any liquid
or ether to the solid state. 1t will
freeze alcohol solid, when the alcohol
will explode violently if ignited. The
end of "a rabbits ear being frozen solid
with it was broken off without pain or
hemorrhage; in less than ten minutes
the circulation was perfectly restored
and the wound began to bleed. When
sprayed on your skin the latter at once
becomes dead and colorless. In less
than a minute the part is frozen as
hard as ice, but the circulation returns
in a few minutes without the slightest
injury to the tissues. There is no pain
in the application. Surgeons who an
aethetize with liquid air can operate
without the interference of so much as
a drop of blood.
Dr. White saved a boys hand with
liquid air. A cartridge had exploded
in the palm, making a nasty wound. At
first the liquid was applied too freely,
for It froze the wound so solid that
the scalpel could not penetrate 1t. Aft
err waiting about thirty seconds the
operation was satisfactorily performed
without hemorrhage or pain. When
the boy returned IN a few days the
wound was in perfect condition, and Il
continued to improve till well.