The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1922-11-21
Yale Scientists Experiment to
Find Mixture That viii Give
Notice of Escaping Fumes.
SEEK ANTIDOTE FOR ASPHYxIA
Artificial Atmosphere IS Per Cent
Oxygen Called Best Method Vet
knewn-Doetors Breathe Gas
to Test Cure.


versity, who have been asked by the
American Gas association to discover
some means of reducing accidental
deaths by asphyxiation, have devel-
oped a new technique for rescuing
persons overcome by gas and are also
experimenting with warning odors to
mix with gas in order to make escap-
ing fumes detected far more quickly
than at present.
The most efficient warning odor so
far developed is a substance called
mercaptan. DR.. Yandell Henderson of
Yale who, with Prof. Howard W. Hag-
gard, has been in charge Of these in
vestigatiOns, said that mercaptan had
an odor closely resembling that Of the
skunk, and that objections had been
made against its use, in spite Of its
admitted high efficiency. One DROP Of
the substance, which can be made
synthetically from coal tar, is said to
be sufficient to diffuse a powerful
warning odor throughout the Grand
Central terminal Because Of the
enormous volume Of gas used in this
city any substance suited for the pur-
pose of giving far and wide the alarm
of leaking gas must be capable Of com.
municating a sharp odor to an enor-
nous volume of air or gas. When he
was reminded that slight Odor OF
gas often hung about a gas jet or
stove, Doctor Henderson said:
SIN good modern apparatus. there
should be no trouble of that kind. If
any substance is to be mixed with the
gas to give it an od,r, it must be some
thing strong enough to be noticed at
once"
Call Most Gas Deaths Suicide.
So far no gas company has carried
the experiment to the extent Of fur
nishing mercaptan mixed with gas to
their customers In spite of the ad-
mitted excellence of such signal as
a life-saver, the scientists held that
the best practical method for cutting
down accidental deaths in cities
quirement Of a high standard Of gas
apparatus. The report of Doctors
Haggard end Henderson to the Ameri-
can Gas association said:
"The observations made by the au-
thors during the investigation indicate
that a considerable number of the
cases Of fatal asphyxia recorded as
accidental in the Borough of Manhat-
tan, New York city, are really suicide.
The published figures for 1920 report
124 suicides by gas out of a total of
$50 suicides; they report also 189 fatal
accidental gassings out of a total Of
2,215 violent deaths, this total includ-
ing 461 highway fatalities and 367
falls from windows, elevators, etc. In
the 313 deaths thus assigned to gas.
suicides certainly contributed in real
ity a much larger proportion and the
ingiy fewer than those figures show.
The average citizen of New York runs
q much greater risk Of losing his life
In q street accident or by q fall from
q window or elevator than from as
phyxia and he may reduce the latter
risk practically to zero by the exer-
else Of q little care.
DIamss Defective Apparatus.
"1n fact, q large proportion Of acci-
dental fatalities are due to obviously
defective fixtures, chiefly cheap. badly
made, old. wsrn. cracked, loose tubing
between the Gas Jet and stoves or
burners 81 various sorts. 7 This 10 not
q matter over which gas companies
can exercise any control"
The experiments Of the Yale scien-
lists were reported a. establishing the
value Of the administration to suffer
ers from gas poisoning Of an artificial
atmosphere composed Of 5 per cent
carbon dioxide and 95 per cent oxy-
gen. The carbon dioxide in the hu-
man system, 1t is alleged, automatical.
ly regulates the action of the lungs.
Carried by the blood to brain centers,
controlling the breathing apparatus.
the carbon dloxide stimulates breath
Ing Gas poisoning upsets this auto
matte control, because the carbon
dioxide which is breathed by the vic
tim has a chemical effect, destroying
much Of the carbon dioxide normally
in the bloodstream. The sufferer,
therefore, quits breathing and, as his
system is deprived Of oxygen, he be-
comes asphyxiated.
Doctors Henderson and Haggard
and others voluntarily allowed them
selves to be rendered unconscious by
gas in order to prove the value of
their carbon dioxide and oxygen mix
ture. Breathing these substances from
tanks, In which they were compressed,
they were speedily restored, without
the ordinary after-effects of asphyxia-
ton, according to their reports.
After discussing the other methods
and explaining the sarbon-di0xide and
oxygen treatment, the rsr0rt con-
tinues:
Tho psint eahnet b Toe strongly
emphadzed that for treatment to be
elective 1t must be applied at the
earliest possible moment after the vic
Tim II discovered and must rsmsys the