243 OZONE. 



in our valleys, especially on our low sti'cams ; while chol- 

 era and all diseases of that character should be less fatal 

 on high land. We cannot suppose that those diseases 

 can actually be prevented or induced by the small a- 

 mount of ozone in the atmosphere, but every thing else 

 being equal the predisposition from the same causes 

 would doubtless be accelerated or retarded by the want 

 of, or excess of ozone. 



This subject is one of extreme interest both to the phys- 

 iological and pathological student. A systematic at- 

 tempt should be made to ascertain if this body, so ener- 

 getic in its affinities, and so powerful in its actions, pos- 

 sesses when artificially prepared any remedial virtues in 

 diseases ; especially those of suboxidation, such as dia- 

 betis, the lithic and oxalic acid diatheses, etc., as well as 

 in catarrhal and choleraic diseases. Science docs not at 

 present enable us unfortunately to make any positive 

 statement as to what is, and what is not, an unhealthy 

 atmosphere. 



The germs of epidemic diseases so much talked of, 

 have never been fully identified, but if they exist, ozone 

 as nature's most energetic disinfectant, should purify, and 

 necessarily must decompose much of the deleterious pro- 

 ducts of putrefaction, and it would stand to reason as 

 ozone is found at once to destroy rudimentary germs of 

 vegetable life, that if such germs for the production of 

 disease really exist, it would have a strong tendency to 

 destroy them. Reasoning from this, epidemic diseases 

 should be more virulent when ozone is in the minimum 

 amount, but there are contradictory opinions about such 

 being the case. 



It is said that variola in Europe has assumed its most 

 malignant type when ozone was in medium amount, but 

 perhaps it WAS never rnore persistent and epidemic, or fa- 



