New Britain herald., 1928-04-24
Your Health How To Keep It. Causes of Illness
BY DIR. NORRIS R1SHBEIN Editor Journal Of the American Medical Association aud of lily.
 xeta, tho Health Magazine.

There no longer is any doubt that automobile exhaust gas is poisonous.
 Like all other poisons tho matter of dosage is important. since small doses of poisons can be handled by the body. whereas large doses may produce serious eifectA
 The most serious of all of the sub- stances in automobile exhaust gas is the dangerous carbon monoxidc, which displaoes oxygen in the blood and thereby produces asphyxiation.
 Drs J. J. Bloomfield and H. s. Isbell of the United States Pubic Health Service have undertaken an investigation of the problem of au- tomobile exhaust gas in streets and in repair shops. The amount of carbon monoxide is dependent on the adjustment of the carburetor. In the Cities. In the studies made during lS27, 14 of the largest cities of the coun- try were visited and 250 samples cf air were obtained. The average of Al tests made in city streets at peak hours of traffic showed con- tamination of 0.S parts of carbon monoxide. per 10000 parts of air. Only e4 per cent of all of the sam ples had more than one part of car bon mouoxide in 10000 of air Sam pies taken inside of autobusses yield cd even a lower concentration of carbon mofoxide gas.
 Investigations made by the New York and New Jersey state bridge and tunnel commission indicate that g. maximum of four parts of carbon monoxide in to.o0O of air is permis- sible, provided the person is not ex- posed for a period as long as one hour. An equation was developed representing the time of exposure in hours multiplied by the concentra- ton in parts of carbon monoxide per 10000 parts of air. If this eQua- ton equals three. there is no per- ceptible effect; if 1t equals six, the effect is just perceftible: if it equals nine. there will be headache and nausea. and if it equals fifteen, the effects may be exceedingly danger ous
 Thus exposure to four parts carbon monoxide in 10000 of air 1 for one hour would equal four, whereas exposure of eight parts of carbon monoxide for one hour would equal eight, with beginning symptoms. and exposure for two hours would equal sixteen with danger.
 All the evidence seems to indi- cate that the average person is rot ill danger from automobile exhaust gas on city streets. where- as the traffic officer who is con- stantly inhaling street air con- taininS exhaust gas for long pe- riods of time may have some seri- GUS symptoms.
 l h tho GAsNGc
 The danger in garages Is con- stantly serious. The average carbon monoxide content was found to be 2.1 parts in 10000. Eighteen per cent of the samples contained over feur parts in | 1o,00e.
 Since employees work in these garages aa long as four or five hours without leaving the build- ing. the condition demands con- Stant watchfuinesG
 It is suggested that automobiles be not permitted to run longer than thirty seconds tnAide the garage. unless the car is in neces- sary motion and tAf exhaust is connected to the outside air by a direct outlet
 In large garage plans for con- 1 trolled ventilation must be de- veloped. Tn small garages with one or two cars the deneee is greatest