Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-21
a Poisonous
Gas That Leaks
Through Stoves
and Furnaces
Why Your Cook Is Irritable and
Perhaps What Causes Your
DUN Fnintness and Headaches Ex-
planned by the Experiments
of o. Famous French Physician


symptoms being infinitely variable
and diverse, and the attention being
rarely enough attracted to a source
OF peril which acts in most cases only
with extreme slowness. The treat.
ment should be symptomatic above
all. and its most important feature
consists In removing the subject
from the action OF the poison.
Carbon monoxide is the more
dangerous since it cannot be detect
ed by taste or odor. 1t Is dangerous
even when the atmosphere contains
an extremely small proportion of 1t.
but in order to be fatal to men, doga
or cats, 1t must be present in a min
imum quantity Of II to per cent. II
acts, at least in acute intoxications,
by asphy1iation. 1t fxes upon the
hemoglobin OF the blood and forms
with it n stable combination, thus
causing the hemoglobin to become in
capable OF carrying the oxygen
needed. 1t Is not probable, how
ever, that the red corpuscle Is de-
stroyed. The nerYecentres react
against this intoxication by lowering
the temperature and diminishing tbs
oxidations. But this reaction be-
comes insufficient II the cause of the
poisoning is too prolonged or too
violent"
fao ff1rn ~ h4 t,,ox
is that It's victims stand a better
chance OF recovery II they remain
motionless and extended than IL they
are made to walk and move about. 4
The treatment consists in the use
OF oxygen as abundantly as possible
1t should be used in limitations and
also In subcutaneous injections.
which are both more efficacious and
easier to administer. The transfu-
sion Of blood Is useful in such cases.
and use should be made likewise Of
the ordinary manipulations in cases
OF asphyxiation.
In order to detect the gas when Its
presence is feared. people are ad.
small animal In cage. rs these are
peculiarly susceptible to the poison
Thus the common canary may have
usefulness not hitherto suspected.
Ammoniacal silver nitrate turns
brown under the influence Of this
gas.
The poison produces its harmful
effects through the combination OF
the carbon monoxide with the hemo-
globn Of the blood. but also its toxic
action on the tissues with which it
is brought in contact by the blood
corpuscles.
Carbon monoxide is most common.
ly generated in the heating appar-
atus, which allows small quantities of
gas to escape during long period of
Winter. Badly managed hot-alr fur
naces and assures in the pipes Of
chimneys may come in this category.
rs we'll as slow combustion appar-
atus, which Is the most dangerous of
all. This furnace causes many cases
OF poisoning in the household. but II
Is also met with among chauffeurs
and engine drivers. miners, iaun-
dresses. employees OF gas works and
laborers who commonly breathe air
yitiated by the leaking or the inten.
sive employment OF illuminating gas.
Carbon monoxide is not only pro-
ducrd by combustion. but it Is found
in Illuminating gas. especially II this
Is made from water. 1t Is contained
in large quantities in the coal gas"
which is given off from furnaces, al
though it does not give the character.
istic odor TO this gas.
1t is generated in large quantities
in the common household furnace
when the hampers are closed 10 shut
off the heat. Hence 1t Is most i'm.
portant that the hot-alr pipes should
fit properly and be free from hole.
communicating with the fire space.
But even when the pipes are all In
good repair there Is danger. as we
have seen, from the gas which
makes its way through redhot iron.
The gas must in many cases be re.
sponsible for the lassitude. headache
and sickness that so often mysteri.
ously attack teachers and pupils In
our schoolrOoms during the Winter
In such cases the gas comes from
the hot-air furnace
Carbon monoxide Is produced In
large quantities by gasoline engines.
A case is reported OF the fatal poison.
ing OF two men in Bridgeport. Conn.
through inhaling carbon monoxide
from the exhaust pipe of a gasoline
engine.