The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-23
HOW Gas AsPHYXIATEs.

We'll Ventilated Sleeping Rooms
The marked increase in deaths from
gas poisoning during the present win
ter over the normal average is attrib-
uted to the extreme cold The mois-
ture In service pipes freezes. partly OF
completely closing them. This makes
especially dangerous the custom, ~
sleeping in in-ventilated rooms in
Whlch the gas is left burning with a
name SO small that a partial Interrupt
tlon OF the flow will extinguish it. II
after such extinguishmenf the flow 10
resumed and the gas escapeg into tba
ar those who breathe ii are likely to
suIIer serious consequences.
Fatalities from breathing gas are
usually attributed to asphvxfarfon
This is correct if the word is 71sed II,
It's original meaning of a cessation OF
heart action, but it IS not at all correct
II used to Indicate death from suffoca-
LlOn as IN drowning or from immersion
in carbonic acid. Gas asphvx{atfou ia
due to the action of an extremely en-
ergetic blood poison. carbon monoxide
which constitutes from 30 to 40 per
cent or the water gas now distributed
in New York and most American sea-
board cities This is a matter which
should be well understood by every
body using water gas for light or heat.
ana a plain staten ent of facts as to
the phenomena OF gas poisoning
should be Of general public interest.
Carbon monoxfde, represented by the
d
Experiments on animals show that air
containing as little as four-tenths Of /
per cent. after sufficient exposure. will
always cause death in man. and that
anything over twO-tenths will in many
cases prove fatal It is without smell
or irritating properties. which makes
it the more dangerous. The first
symptoms of carbon monoxide poison
ing are dizziness. shOrtness of breath
and heart palpitation. Sometimes there
is drowsiness similar to that produced
by alcohol When more OF the gas has
been absorbed there is a failure of
muscular power, and the mind becomes
confused. The loss of muscular and
sensory power gradually becomes more
and more complete until death ensues.
There is no pain or serious discomfort.
danger What happens is well under
stood. The haemoglobin. or red color
Ing matter, of the blood absOrbs
oxygen from the air and carries it
where it is used up. This operation is
essential to life. But carbon monOxfde
has for haemoglObin about 400 times
the affinity of oxygen Hence IT is alb
sorbed by il much more readily. and
forms with IL 4 more stable compound
than does oxygen In proportion 10
the amount Of carbon monoxide taken
UP by it. oxygen is excluded, and when
about 20 to so per cent Of saturation is
reached death is inevitable
In the average man the weight Ct
blood is to the weight Of the body rs
one to d This IS represented by about
three litres Of blood, Of which the
haemoglobin requires to saturate IL
about 600 &C of carbon monoxide- When
at rest a man breathes about 1itres
of air per minute In about 20 minutes
Of exposure to an atmosphere contain
ing twO-tenths of q per cent of CO
he should begin to feel the effects III
the symptoms above mentioned. If the
exposure is continued or the breathing
stimulated the consequences are likely
to be very serious, and IL the percent
age of co in the air breathed is IL
creased death is scarcely to be avoid
ed.
gas leak. however slight. is never
safely negligible. That leaks known to
exist and sufficient to cause annoyance
from the presence of n disagreeabie
OdOr I'm the air are so often neglected.
can be attributed only to ignorance.
The smell of gas is a danger signal as
significant as the rattle of a snake in
the grass. It is most to be feared,
however, in the odorless form in which
il enters houses from leaks in buried
mains or service pipes. Uncarbure9-
ted water gas, carrying about IS per
cent OF co, IS odorlesss Illuminating
gas which has been filtered through
the ground loses its odor-imparting ad-
ditions-the naphtha VapOrs which
render IL luminOus-and becomes a gas
Of nearly equal parts Of hydrogen and
carbon monoXide. It IS by far the most
dangerous constituent Of what Is called
sewer gas, 1t accounts for the general
prevalence of anaemic conditions
among the poorly housed Of our city
population. and constitutes a fire haz-
ard which fs the more disduieting from
being indeterminate.
The citizen needs to be at all times
on its guard against the danger to
which he IL exposed from gas. This
danger the most timid cannot exag-
gerate nor the bravest safely disregard.
New York Times.