M. MATERIA MEDICA, THERAPEUTICS, AND HYGIENE. 5 63 



may, under certain circumstances, become dangerous to hu- 

 man life. When newly-burned charcoal is stored in a cellar 

 and overflowed by an inundation, carbonic oxide may be 

 displaced and pass into the rooms above. It is said, also, 

 that sleeping upon charcoal has proved fatal. Wherever an 

 open charcoal lire is kept burning for a long time, as in labor- 

 atories, or for heating sad or soldering irons, etc., fresh char- 

 coal having, of course, to be added from time to time, the at- 

 tendants frequently suffer from headache and vertigo. Should 

 the fact be as just suggested, that fresh, cold charcoal is im- 

 pregnated or saturated with carbonic oxide, it is evident that 

 the gas will be expelled by the heat before the coal reaches 

 the temperature of ignition, and will thus infect the air. The 

 same is the case in high furnaces when coke is used. On 

 the other hand, it is known that the use of live coals, viz., 

 charcoal heated to redness in a furnace constructed for the 

 purpose, rarely proves injurious. The Dutch coal-pan (stoof- 

 jas) for keeping one warm, or for heating food, is sufficient 

 evidence of this fact. 15 (7, 18 VI, 58. 



BONE-BLACK AS AN ANTIDOTE. 



Charcoal, and especially animal charcoal, is extensively 

 used in technical establishments for decolorizing sirups and^ 

 other organic substances. A German chemist directs atten- 

 tion to its property of absorbing inorganic bodies also, and 

 suggests that bone-black might occasionally serve as a val- 

 uable antidote in cases of poisoning. Lead, copper, mercury, 

 small quantities of arsenic, alkaloids, etc., are removed from 

 solutions by the action of animal charcoal, while phosphorus 

 is fixed by it. This latter property is especially recommend- 

 ed for application in all the establishments where vapors of 

 phosphorus abound. It is thought that a respirator filled 

 with animal charcoal would do better service as an air filter 

 than the use of spirits of turpentine, recommended by Lethe- 

 by, which in many cases has an injurious effect in itself. 

 8 6 y , xvn., 131. 



THE MBOUNDOU POISON. 



The mboundou poison, used for ordeals on the Gaboon, and 

 described by Du Chaillu and other travelers in Africa, has re- 

 cently been the subject of analysis and experiment by two 



