26 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 60 



THE SUPPOSED EXISTENCE OF A CHEMICAL ORGANIC POISON 

 IN EXHALED AIR 



In a paper published by the Smithsonian Institution, F. A. R. 

 Russell ' says : 



" Organic matter is given off from the lungs and skin, of which 

 neither the exact amount nor the composition has been hitherto 

 ascertained. The quantity is certainly very small, but of its impor- 

 tance there can be no doubt. It darkens sulphuric acid, decolorizes 

 permanganate of potash, and makes pure water offensive when 

 drawn through it. . . . Since this organic matter has been proved 

 to be highly poisonous, even apart from carbon dioxide and vapor, 

 we may safely infer that much of the mischief resulting from the 

 inspiration of rebreathed air is due to the special poisons exhaled 

 from the body, their fatal effect being accelerated by the depression 

 of vitality caused by the gaseous products of respiration and by the 

 want of oxygen.... As to the frequent emission of a deadly 

 particidate poison, no doubt whatever can exist. It is a dangerous 

 and pernicious element in all aggregations, and, combined with 

 carbon dioxide, produces, when in moderate quantity, depression, 

 headache, sickness, and other ailments ; when in large quantity, as 



in the Black Hole of Calcutta, rapid death in the majority. 



.... Much of the mortality of infant and adult life may be due to 

 the rebreathing of poison excreted by breath and skin." 



This passage expresses the popular view. 



We shall show that there is no evidence to justify these state- 

 ments. The deaths in the Black Hole of Calcutta, the depression, 

 headache, etc., in close rooms, are alike due to heat stagnation ; the 

 victims of the Black Hole died from heat-stroke. 



From what has gone before, it is evident that neither the diminu- 

 tion of oxygen nor the increase in carbon dioxide has any influence 

 in crowded rooms, and we shall now show that there is no evidence 

 of the existence of any organic chemical poison in exhaled air. 



The sanitarian says it is necessary to keep the C0 2 below o.oi 

 per cent, so that the organic poisons may not collect to a harmful 

 extent. The evil smell of crowded rooms is accepted as unequivocal 

 evidence of the existence of such. He pays much attention to this 

 and little or none to the heat and moisture of the air. The smell 

 arises from the secretions of the skin — sweat, spray from the mouth ; 



1 F. A. R. Russell : The Atmosphere in Relation to Human Life and Health. 

 Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 39, 1896, p. 44. Pub. No. 1072. 



