Evening star., 1951-06-18
Laughing Cos Sheet
Surrounds Earth
Believed Coused By Escaping
Nitrous Oxide From the Soil
By Thomos Z. Henry


By Thomos r. Henry
The earth has thin sheet of laugh
ing gas.
This has been reported to the Ameri-
can Association for the Advancement Of
Science by DR.. Arthur Adel Of Arizona
State College, who first reported ten
years ago that nitrous oxide was con-
stituent Of the earth's atmosphere. The
amount was extremely minute-one
part in many millions-yet it was about
which make life possible on earth.
Recent evidence, DR.. Adel reports, Is
that this laughing gas largely is con-
fined to layer Of atmosphere close to
the surface and probably is due to es-
cape Of nitrous oxide from the soil
Soil nitrogen is an essential for all
plant life. It is absorbed by the soil
from the atmosphere In various ways,
chiefly by the action of soil bacteria.
Finally Is Distributed.
Apparently, when the plants are
through with the gas. it is given back
to the atmosphere in the form of nitrous
oxide and has tendency to concen-
trate close to the surface Then it grad.
ually is distributed through the whole
atmosphere.
Thus, DR.. Adel says in his report, this
process apparently is fundamental in
the nitrogen cycle" which is one of
the most important Of the mechanisms
which make life possible. Nitrogen is
essential for the formation OF food
stuffs upon which plant life and.
eventually, all animal life depends.
The air closest to the surface, DR..
Adel explains. has been found to have
strong nitrous oxide absorption band.
On the other hand, recent measure
ments from airplanes in the high at.
moSphere have shown vanishing guam
titles of the gas. But only as It reaches
the high atmosphere, DR.. Adef reports,
is the gas broken up into its ccnstit-
uent gases, nitrogen and oxygen.
AS laughing gas" per Sc, it would
not be available for plant life.
Various antihistamine drugs taken
internally, but always with doctors
advice, and combined with outside ap-
plication of ordinary calomine ointment,
are proving the most potent antidotes
for the ageold bugaboo of ivy poison
ing.
There are many sorts of remedies and
preventatives recommended, according
to U. S. Public Health Service der
matologists, but all have serious draw
backs. Securing of an exposed area
with soap and water within a few min
utes after exposure remains quite ef-
fective. 1t is essentially useless, how
ever, if there is any appreciable delay.
Various ointments have been prepared
from formulas evolved both by the De-
partment Of Agriculture and the Public
Health Service. On the whole, pre-
ventative injections have had quite in
different success.
But antihiStamine drugs have proved
valuable, according to the Public Health
Service dermatologiSts, in cases where
persons are sensitive to ivy poisoning to
the point where it is q true allergy.
These always are the most serious
cases.
Poison is ReSinous.
The poisonous substance in the ivy
leaf long since has been isolated and
ASCAcAACA. ~ bC1O14SS " b1lC CldSS O1
chemical substances known as resins
and has two constituents. One is
soluble. in water and the other in ether.
These are the bases of the various in
jections which have been recommended
in the past.
AntihiStamines, it was pointed out,
have no value in cases where the resin
acts only as skin irritant. They
serve, however, to prevent a systematic
reaction which, in some cases, may be
quite serious.
Sensitivity Of individuals to ivy pois-
oning varies enormously, it was pointed
out, and the effectiveness of almost any
remedy depends largely on the degree
of this sensitivity and the degree of ex-
poSure.
The one sure remedy, the dermatolog-
lists insist, is to stay away from the
noxious vine If one ever has experienced
an allergic reaction.