The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1922-03-25
CARBON DIOXIDE
FOR GAS VICTIM.
Public Health Service Tests
Method for Efficiency in
Mines and Elevators.
CARBON MONOx|DE IS OUSTED
Breathing Is Stimulated by Use of In:
haIator, Filling the Lungs With
oxy0en-invento Sees Dam
Ger in It's Use. =.

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oxyoen-Invento Sees Dan.
ger in It's Use.
New YOrk.-PersOns overcome by IL
Eliminating gas are being treated with
carbon dioxide and oxygen by the
United States public health service in
series Of studies to determine wheth-
er the carbon dioxide treatment should
be introduced into mines and grain
elevators where the life-saving de-
vices are prescribed by the United
States government.
From each person treated by the
new method, which was devised by
Prof. Yandell Henderson of Yale, work
ing under the United States bureau
of mines, few drops of blood are
taken at the moment when the in
haler is first applied, and a few drops
more are taken at the end of 20 min
utes' use of this apparatus. FL
"The samples Of blood are sent to
Doctor Henderson at Yale" said DR..
Stuart Scott, who has been assigned
by the United States public health
service to take charge of the test of
the invention in this city, where it is
being used for the first time on hui
man victims of gas poisoning.
There the samples are being an
alyzed to discover what percentage of
carbon monoxide has been removed
from the blood in the 20 minutes dur
ing which the inhalatOr is used. 1t will
take a long course of experiments to
determine this. If it is finally shown
that the use of carbon dioxide mixed
with oxygen is the best antidote for
asphyxiation, the inhalator will prob
ably replace the different varieties of
pulmotor now in use in government
service"
Used to Stimulate Breathing.
The function of the carbon dioxide
is to stimulate breathing, which be-
comes extremely feeble in patient
overcome by gas. The strong breath
ing keeps the lungs filed with oxygen,
and the faster the oxygen enters the
. lungs the more rapidly the blood is
cleared Of the carbon monoxide.
Ia DCAIONuC dAu OIACl 1OSpltdlS d
number of experiments have been car
ried on in the administration of car
bon dioxide to patients who have been
long under ether during operations.
The use of carbon dioxide with great
care in such cases Is said to speed up
breathing, so that the patients quickly
clear the ether from their systems and
cv,hP
from it.
The average case of gas poisoning is
not the best kind on which to show
the beneficial effect of the inhalator,
according to Doctor Henderson, be-
cause of the fact that such cases have
usually been under asphyxiation for
many hours. During this time, lack
of oxygen in the body often produces
degenerative changes in the nerve and
other body cells. The mere removal
of the carbon monoxide and the restor-
alton Of the patients breathing ap-
paratus cannot repair the damage al
ready done throughout the system of
the patient. .-~
The great benefit claimed for the
use of the carbon dioxide process is
ir the early treatment OF acute cases
of gas poisoning, of f1remen asphyxi-
ated by smoke and similar cases of
monoxide poisoning. Profound harm
full changes may take place in the
body of the sufferer within a short
time in such cases, and slow processes
of resuscitation do not save the pa
tient from after effects which may lin
ger for life in disturbed nerve cen
ters and constitutional troubles. L
The use of carbon dioxide in the
resuscitation process, however, is be-
lieved to be capable of clearing the
blood so quickly that person suffer-
ing from severe asphyxiation may re-
cover without i'll effects If the remedy
is used quickly.
Would Bar InhaIator's Use.
Even If the inhalator is perfect de-
vice, Doctor Henderson asserts that
it would be better if all such devices
were prohibited by law, because their
effect is to prevent workers in mines
and elsewhere from learning how to
restore breathing in an asphyxiated
person without the use of instruments.
1.-THE standpoint which seems to me
to be justified by eight years of ex-
perfence, ever since our commission
er first investigated the matter" he
said, lis that, even If we had an
ideally perfect apparatus for giving
artificial respiration, it would still be
better to discourage and even forbid
the manufacture, sale, use and intro
duction Of such apparatus, because it
leads to delay, and thus more deaths
deaths which should and could be res
torations.
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