Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-10-28
OUR UNPoLLUTED AIR.

-
Tho hygienic value Of our dry and
nightly cooled atmosphere is known Ga
general terms but appreciated most by
occasional seekers for health.
new reason for gratitude in rela-
ton 20 our climate has, however, Just
been shown by scientific research.
French psychologist. Mr. Henrlet,
has apparently demonstrated that
high temperature and much moisture
In air that has been Initiated by being
breathed are the chief reasons for its
harmfulness.
Almost every well-read person knows
that dry air is less oppressive than air
more nearly saturated with moisture.
Cold Is felt TO be more piercing. heat
is more prostrating IN its effects. when
the air is moist Dry air "tempers the
wind" and relieves the suffering. or
the experienced sensation. whether
cold.
This general fact together with sew
eral special ones. such as that OF the
lack OF high winds--the comparative
stiffness OF our atmosphere-the fact
that marked changes or temperature
are quite gradual. but that a decided
change occurs almost every night
Cthis Is most appreciated in summer)--
these conditions we had supposed. told
almost the entire story OF the superior.
ity Of our dry atmosphere over that
of the more humid regions But the
real truth reveals a still greater adj
vantage, which would perhaps he best
explained in the language Of the dis
coverer himself.
Mr. Henriet first shows that the
physiological importance Of the air we
breathe Is not sufficiently appreciss ID;
that we absorb daily through the lungs
a weight Of oxygen greater than that
OF the food we eat. and that We breathe
continually air that r. taken up direct
ly by the blood without any processes
Of preparation and OF publication such
as take place in digestive assimilation.
From his own experiments and those
Of others he shows the successive steps
Ia the pollution OF the air from its re-
marksble purity or the sea. fifty miles
from land, where II does not contain a
single micro organism per cubic yard,
to 500 OF such germs per cubic yard in
the atmosphere OF city parks; 5000 10
1000 per cubic yard IN the atmosphere
OF city streets; $4,000 per yard IN living
rooms: and $4,000 In the sick rooms OF
certain hospitals.
The number OF these germs he shows
10 be proportional 20 the degree OF
pollution. while the amount OF carbon
dioxlde Itself. heretofore regarded as
the main poison OF polluted air. Is Of
less Importance, except that rs amount
corresponds roughly with the number
OF the harmful micro-organlsms pres
ent In foul air
Brown-soquard & D'Arsonvai con-
densed the yapor OF newly oxhaled air
and injected the liquid thus obtained
into rabbits which expired quickly.
Says Henrlet:
THE vapor must then have contained
poisonous products, which are probably
the cause Of the discomfort felt by per
sons breathing confined air As We can
not measure these toNins-t Is well
known that the poisons eXcreted By the
organlsm are very alterable products
existing only On inhuitesimal quanti-
tles-Nc assume that their weight In
proportional 10 the quantity OF carbon
ic anhydnd emitted In the same time.
| 10 De- then easy. by measuring the car
/ bonic gas In the air, 20 estimate It's t0x-
/ icity and a. hx al i-l0 u I per cent. the
maximum quantity that should be con-
| tained In confined air.
But We hnd that this limit which rs
| quite empirical Is easily exceeded in the
case OF n room heated and lighted by
! gas. for Instance. Here. besides the ex-
nired carbonic 8nhydrid. we have thar
produced By combustion. And carboulc
gas itself Is toxic only IN very laree
/ amounts
From such facts Henriot concludes
that tho poisonous quality or toxicity.
| OF confined air does not come from car
bonio gas. but thar the Injurious effects
OF confined air are mainly due 20 iis
temperature ana its moisture
Dr Flugge 81 Breslau went SO far as
90 suggest that % would not even be
necessary 10 veutllate inhabited rooms
II they could be- kept always cool and
drl.
but these emanations from the lunge
these gaseous eNcrotion products
are found 60 b. substances lnnnitesi-
mally small and liable 10 quick dislnte-
grnton' they are OF stale odor includ-
ing several organic acids 90 great oxy
een-confuming power. and their chief
activity IL que 10 warmth and moisture.
suppose says honnet. that in an en-
closed space there Re- ~ much moisture
that The air becomes sstumtsd. Al this
moment condensation NIL begin and