Death in Closed Vessels 571 



These results entirely justify our explanation, and show that 

 the decrease of the product CO, x P, when the pressure increases, 

 must be attributed to the intervention of the oxygen playing a fatal 

 part. 



We see furthermore that the points a and b, which represent 

 on Figure 21 the numbers furnished by Experiments CXXXIV and 

 CXXXVI, are placed very exactly on line A, which was plotted 

 according to the theory. 



E. Compression with superoxygenated air. 



This fatal effect of oxygen under a sufficiently high pressure 

 was so remarkable a phenomenon that I felt I must try to exhaust 

 all means of proving it indisputably. 



Now a new method occurred to me, the opposite of the one 

 which has just been used. I had only to make the compression with 

 superoxygenated air, still in closed vessels. The influence of oxy- 

 gen, if it is as serious as I thought, should bring death to animals at 

 a moment when they were far from having furnished the same 

 percentage of carbonic acid as at corresponding pressures in the 

 case of ordinary air. This, indeed, happen in the following ex- 

 periments. 



Experiment CXXXVII. January 16. 



Sparrow at 5 atmospheres, 4 of which are oxygen. 



Entered at 3:25; at 3:40, falls with violent convulsions; at 3:48, 

 on its back; the cranium, previously bared of feathers, shows abun- 

 dant bloody suffusions. At 4:35, still breathes slowly; the convulsions 

 lasted about 15 minutes. 



At 4:50, dead. Rectal temperature is 18°, that of the laboratory 

 air being 9°. Venous blood red; no gas; the heart is beating when 

 in the outer air. 



The original mixture contained O: 83. 



The tension of this oxygen = 83 x 5 = 415, corresponding to that 

 of 415 = 19.7 atmospheres. 



20.9 

 Lethal air: CO 1.4; Oi 80.5. 

 CO2 tension = 1.4 x 5 = 7.0. 



Experiment CXXXVIII. January 17. 

 At 3:30 taken to 3 atmospheres, 2 of which are oxygen. 

 At 3:50 breathes with great difficulty; uneasy. At 4:45, dead. 

 Lethal air: CO 5.6; Cb 78.9. 

 CO? tension = 5.6 x 3 = 16.8. 



The tension of the original oxygen was about 86 x 3 = 258, corre- 

 sponding to 12.1 atmospheres, 



