probably less than four per cent. of carbonic oxide,—may be the reason why accidents are not occasioned by it. It is a singular fact, however, that the powerful odour of the gas, when it accidentally escapes in the night-time, generally awakes very soon those who are exposed to inhale it.
Of Poisoning with Carbonic Acid Gas.—Carbonic acid gas is the most important of the deleterious gases; for it is the daily source of fatal accidents. It is extricated in great quantity from burning fuel; it is given out abundantly in the calcining of lime; it is disengaged in a state of considerable purity in brew-houses by the fermentation of beer; it is often met with in mines and caverns, particularly in coal-pits and draw-wells; it may collect in apartments where fuel is burnt without a proper outlet for the vitiated air, or where persons are crowded too much for the capacity of the room. Hence many have been killed by descending incautiously into draw-wells, by falling into beer-vats, and by sleeping before the traps of lime-kilns, or in apartments without vents and heated by choffers. Instances have even occurred of the same accident from sleeping in greenhouses during the night, when plants exhale much carbonic acid; and some dreadful cases have occurred of suffocation from confinement in small crowded rooms.
Physiologists, as already remarked, are not quite agreed as to the action of carbonic acid gas,—whether it is a positive poison, or simply an asphyxiating gas. But in my opinion reasons enough exist for believing that it is positively and energetically poisonous. This is perhaps shown by its effects being much more rapidly produced, and much more slowly and imperfectly removed, than asphyxia from immersion in hydrogen or azote.[1] Thus immersion for twenty-five seconds in an atmosphere of carbonic acid gas has been found sufficient to kill an animal outright; and fifteen seconds will kill a small bird.[2] But it is more unequivocally established by the three following facts:
In the first place, if, instead of the nitrogen contained in atmospheric air, carbonic acid gas be mixed with oxygen in the same proportion, animals cannot breathe this atmosphere for two minutes without being seized with symptoms of poisoning.[3] Even a much less proportion has the same effect. Five per cent. in the air will affect small birds in two minutes, and kill them in half an hour.[4] Persons have become apoplectic in an atmosphere of carbonic acid gas, which to those who entered it appeared at first quite respirable.[5]
Secondly, Professor Rolando of Turin having found that the land tortoise sustained little injury when the great air-tube of one lung was tied,—he contrived to make it breathe carbonic acid gas with one lung, while atmospheric air was inhaled by the other; and he remarked that death took place in a few hours.[6]
