The Washington herald., 1909-02-04

Overwhelming refutation OF the testi-
mony given by gas corporation experts
that water gas Is no more dangerous to
human life than coal gas is furnished by
Official record and scientific text books.
The manufacture and distribution Of
deadly poisonous gas such as forced into
the homes Of Washington Is practically
;nterdicted in Great Britain. In 1888 a
departmental committee appointed by
the House Of Commons TO inquire
into the manufacture and use OF
water gas and other gases containing &
large proportion OF carbon mOnoxide
made this recommendation:
That power shall be conferred upon
a central department 10 make regnla-
tons, enforceable by adequate penal
ties. limiting the proportion Of car
bon monoxide IN the public gas sup
ply at weight 70 u per cent or such
greater amount as the department
may consider desirable"
This recommendation was signed by DR..
y. s. Haldane, a prominent English sci
enlist who has carried on many expert
ments relative to ths injurious effects Of
water gas. and by Sir William Ramsay.
probably the foremost chemist in Eng
land at the present tine
should Be Limited by Law.
The chief chemist OF the chemical and
gas department OF the London county
council in May Isa2 as a result Of his
study, ended his report by making the
following recommendation:
The Information obtained from an
examination extending over year
proves that the gas companies 0IOn-
dom are able 90 supply gas Of the stat
utory Illuminating power even when
the Guantify Of carbon Eaonoxide n
their gas does not exceed Z per cent.
recommend therefore. that II any
Of the gas companies which are SUP
plying gas to London are using water
gas when the board OF trade introduces
measure limiting the extent OF en-
richmeut OF coal gas by means Of car
buretted water gas, this committee
should seek to have inserted in the
bill a clause stating that the whole
amount OF carbon monoxide present IN.
the gas as It is supplied TO London
shall not exceed al any time during
the twenty-fOur hours II per cent Of
volume. FRANK CLOVES.
Chief Chsmist. Caszica1 and Gas Department
Cunza oF Me- Nah
IN his Memorandum on the use Of
water gas in the United States OF America
with reference 70 its effect on 6he public
health" Dr.. II. F. Parsons (Appendix
II, pp. S-sS) quotes as follows from the
reports OF the board ot gas and electric
light commissioners Of Massachusetts to
prove that when water gas IS used deaths
are Increased:
IN several Of their reports the bosr1 q gas and
electric light connissiore-s cal as.ention TO this
iucresse. Thus II their ninth annual rspo-t lam
AZ. ls9s. they sag:
since AT-il =. Is90. Vhen The state took o. the
limit q % per cent from TIE amount of carbon
Tn01OTids allowed IN Eas. the number q fatalities
has increased sls-miuEl5. In lSa there were two
deaths reported b. this boaTd. IN 1880. eirht: IN
1871. sixteeui IN isoe, eighteen.
In the twelfth annual report gsnusry. 1881 they
say
In addition 70 the Increase IN TIE rurnbs- of
deaths fun Fas pUsoui1g there hss also been sincz
isea re-y great iaeresss n the nunber q recorded
instances II which pe-Sons have suffered from ne
poisonous ELECTS Of hrssthing escaped gas b1t have
recovered after longer o. shorter period Of uncon-
sG0Us1esS
InferdIcted in Europe.
The Textbook OF Legal Medicine and
Toxicology, by Peterson & Haines .VoI.
II, pages 64S to SD says, relative TO the
poisonous action OF carbon monoxide:
AS soon as the quantity reaches OF per
cent the poisonous effect is produced.
while with 10 per cent the toxic action is
rapid
Relative 70 water gas. this work says:
IN Europe The sale OF such gas is in
terdicted."
Medical Jurisprudence. by Wharton &
StiIle CvoL II. Poisons, pages II-1Z0. re-
fsrring 20 the poisonous action OF carbon
says:
According to The sTperme1ts Of Grehsnt and the
experiments q Nichols in Massachusetts sir cun-
tsi1ins o. 90 OH of carbon no1oxide Is fatal
in hour 70 an animal exposed 10 iDhale It; but
there definite and accurate calculations Of the
TT0p7TtiOn Of carbon nonoIide in air; Whcls sssai
inhalatons Of this gzs mTsd with air has occurred
70 human beings. generally. the volume Of gas Is
50 much higher than lethsl dose that this ques-
tion has not been raised
Quickly Results Fatally.
Principles and Practice Of Medical
Jurisprudence by A G. Taylor CyoI. II.
page $50, says. relative TO the poisonous
effect Of carbon monoxide:
1T IS probable that I'VE minutes ex-
posure 70 per cent carbon monoxide
would inevitably be fatal 'ss
Sir Thomas Stevenson found X per
cent fatal to mice
The action Of carbon monoxide on the
body is that Of a pure narcotic poi
Even so small a quantity as 10 per
cent is noxious TO animals The animals
Continued on PAGE 4, Column 3.
Next Week at SIoan's.