miquelangeles
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Excerpts from the 1894 publication:
90 per cent, of the total scientific experiments on the effects of noxious gases on animal life have been made by the Germans and the French, and for the last decade scarcely any experiments have been made by scientists of any nationality, the results obtained by our forefathers being accepted with a credulity seldom encountered in other branches of science. In addition to this, the poverty of information in the standard references on this subject is so great that were any particular knowledge required, it would be necessary to make new experiments.
I claim that my experiments are absolutely accurate, as the means employed for mixing the different atmospheres (the Shaw gas-tester) is acknowledged to be as nearly perfect as human agency can make anything, and has been awarded the Elliott Cresson and the Scott Legacy medals for accuracy — the highest awards in the gift of the Franklin Institute. This tester is to gases what weights and scales are to solids.
EXPERIMENTS WITH CARBON DIOXID
Experiment No. 1. I placed a rabbit in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of 10 percent, of CO2, and 90 percent, of air. After one hour and seven minutes the rabbit gave no indication whatever of being affected, so I released it and allowed it to run with several others of its species, the effect of its treatment, contrary to expectation, being great exhilaration instead of stupefication.
Result: 10 per cent, of CO2, and 90 per cent, of air; one hour and seven minutes’ inhalation — exhilaration.
Experiment No. 2. I placed a rabbit in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of 25 per cent, of CO2, and 75 per cent, of air for one hour, at the end of which time the animal showed no indication whatever of being affected, and when released and placed with others exhibited as much liveliness as they.
Result: 25 per cent, of CO2 and 75 per cent, of air ; one hour’s inhalation — unaffected.
Experiment No. 3. I placed a rabbit in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of 50 per cent, of CO2 and 50 per cent, of air. At the end of two minutes the rabbit showed signs of being affected; at the end of three minutes it commenced to gasp regularly every two seconds; at the end of six minutes the gasps were three seconds apart; ten minutes, the gasps were four seconds; twelve minutes, the gasps were six seconds; fourteen minutes, the gasps were eight seconds ; fifteen minutes, the gasps were nine seconds ; sixteen minutes, the gasps were ten seconds; seventeen minutes, death ensued.
Result: 50 per cent, of CO2 and 50 per cent, of air; seventeen minutes’ inhalation — death.
Experiment No. 4. I placed a rabbit in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of 75 per cent, of CO2 and 25 per cent, of air. At the end of two minutes the rabbit commenced to pant rapidly; three minutes, it became stupefied and gasped every two seconds; five minutes, the gasps were three seconds apart; seven minutes, the gasps were five seconds; eight minutes, the gasps were six seconds; nine minutes, the gasps were ten seconds; ten minutes, death ensued.
Result. 75 per cent, of CO2 and 25 per cent, of air; ten minutes’ inhalation — death.
Experiment No. 5. I placed a mouse in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of pure CO2; death was instantaneous.
Result: Pure CO2; death instantaneous.
Experiment No. 6. I placed a mouse in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of 25 per cent, of CO2 and 75 per cent, of air. At the end of three minutes the mouse seemed slightly affected, but kept moving around the cylinder—in this test held vertically. At the end of ten minutes the conditions were unchanged, and I displaced the atmosphere of 25 per cent. CO2 with pure air. The mouse revived instantaneously on the first inhalation.
Result: 25 per cent, of CO2 and 75 per cent, of air; ten minutes’ inhalation; slightly affected, but recovered instantaneously in the fresh air.
Experiment No. 7. I placed a mouse in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of 50 per cent, of CO2 and 50 per cent, of air. At the end of ten seconds the mouse showed great exhilaration ; twenty seconds, its activity was greatly reduced; thirty seconds, it became stupefied ; thirty-five seconds, gave short gasps; forty-five seconds, the gasps were long and apparently painful; fifty-five seconds, death occurred.
Result: 50 per cent, of CO2 and 50 per cent, of air; fifty-five seconds’ inhalation—death.
Experiments 5, 6 and 7, are only given here to illustrate the fact that the smaller the animal the less the power of resistance to CO2.
90 per cent, of the total scientific experiments on the effects of noxious gases on animal life have been made by the Germans and the French, and for the last decade scarcely any experiments have been made by scientists of any nationality, the results obtained by our forefathers being accepted with a credulity seldom encountered in other branches of science. In addition to this, the poverty of information in the standard references on this subject is so great that were any particular knowledge required, it would be necessary to make new experiments.
I claim that my experiments are absolutely accurate, as the means employed for mixing the different atmospheres (the Shaw gas-tester) is acknowledged to be as nearly perfect as human agency can make anything, and has been awarded the Elliott Cresson and the Scott Legacy medals for accuracy — the highest awards in the gift of the Franklin Institute. This tester is to gases what weights and scales are to solids.
EXPERIMENTS WITH CARBON DIOXID
Experiment No. 1. I placed a rabbit in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of 10 percent, of CO2, and 90 percent, of air. After one hour and seven minutes the rabbit gave no indication whatever of being affected, so I released it and allowed it to run with several others of its species, the effect of its treatment, contrary to expectation, being great exhilaration instead of stupefication.
Result: 10 per cent, of CO2, and 90 per cent, of air; one hour and seven minutes’ inhalation — exhilaration.
Experiment No. 2. I placed a rabbit in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of 25 per cent, of CO2, and 75 per cent, of air for one hour, at the end of which time the animal showed no indication whatever of being affected, and when released and placed with others exhibited as much liveliness as they.
Result: 25 per cent, of CO2 and 75 per cent, of air ; one hour’s inhalation — unaffected.
Experiment No. 3. I placed a rabbit in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of 50 per cent, of CO2 and 50 per cent, of air. At the end of two minutes the rabbit showed signs of being affected; at the end of three minutes it commenced to gasp regularly every two seconds; at the end of six minutes the gasps were three seconds apart; ten minutes, the gasps were four seconds; twelve minutes, the gasps were six seconds; fourteen minutes, the gasps were eight seconds ; fifteen minutes, the gasps were nine seconds ; sixteen minutes, the gasps were ten seconds; seventeen minutes, death ensued.
Result: 50 per cent, of CO2 and 50 per cent, of air; seventeen minutes’ inhalation — death.
Experiment No. 4. I placed a rabbit in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of 75 per cent, of CO2 and 25 per cent, of air. At the end of two minutes the rabbit commenced to pant rapidly; three minutes, it became stupefied and gasped every two seconds; five minutes, the gasps were three seconds apart; seven minutes, the gasps were five seconds; eight minutes, the gasps were six seconds; nine minutes, the gasps were ten seconds; ten minutes, death ensued.
Result. 75 per cent, of CO2 and 25 per cent, of air; ten minutes’ inhalation — death.
Experiment No. 5. I placed a mouse in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of pure CO2; death was instantaneous.
Result: Pure CO2; death instantaneous.
Experiment No. 6. I placed a mouse in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of 25 per cent, of CO2 and 75 per cent, of air. At the end of three minutes the mouse seemed slightly affected, but kept moving around the cylinder—in this test held vertically. At the end of ten minutes the conditions were unchanged, and I displaced the atmosphere of 25 per cent. CO2 with pure air. The mouse revived instantaneously on the first inhalation.
Result: 25 per cent, of CO2 and 75 per cent, of air; ten minutes’ inhalation; slightly affected, but recovered instantaneously in the fresh air.
Experiment No. 7. I placed a mouse in a glass cylinder and pumped in an atmosphere of 50 per cent, of CO2 and 50 per cent, of air. At the end of ten seconds the mouse showed great exhilaration ; twenty seconds, its activity was greatly reduced; thirty seconds, it became stupefied ; thirty-five seconds, gave short gasps; forty-five seconds, the gasps were long and apparently painful; fifty-five seconds, death occurred.
Result: 50 per cent, of CO2 and 50 per cent, of air; fifty-five seconds’ inhalation—death.
Experiments 5, 6 and 7, are only given here to illustrate the fact that the smaller the animal the less the power of resistance to CO2.
