38 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
Comparing these two gases, it is evident that the illuminating gas used has 
a greater heating power than the natural gas, for in the illuminating gas there is 
47.65 per cent. of hydrogen, and the heat units yielded by hydrogen are 34.462; 
while the chief constituent of the natural gas is marsh-gas (CH4), which yields 
only 13.063 heat units, and this is practically the only heat-producing substance 
in the natural gas, all other gases being present in such small quantities. 
In the tests upon coals, the first four were made upon Leavenworth coal, and 
the last two on Cafion City coal. It is evident that the process is not suited to 
determine the relative heating value of different samples of coal, and, indeed, 
that is not the intention. 
If the average result obtained is taken, namely, that one ton of coal is equiva- 
lent in heating power to 21,500 cubic feet of gas, then, with Leavenworth coal at 
$2.50 per ton, gas would have to be sold at about twelve cents per thousand to be 
the equivalent in cost of the coal. Of course, as the coal increases in price, the 
cost of gas may also be raised proportionately. There is no doubt that the 
natural-gas producers in some of our districts could afford to furnish gas at this 
figure, but in others the price would be too low. 
In the consideration of the relative heating power of the two fuels, no account 
is taken of the extreme convenience, wholesomeness and cleanliness of gas, nor 
of the fact that it can be lighted at any time when it is needed, and as soon as 
the work is done it can be extinguished. For convenience, then, there is noth- 
ing to equal gas; but this fuel must be sold at an extremely low price to compete 
economically with coal. 
Lawrence, December 26, 1899, 
ON THE EFFECT OF OXYGEN UPON ANIMAL LIFE. 
BY J. T. WILLARD AND A. T. KINSLEY, EXPERIMENT STATION, MANHATTAN, 
Read before the Academy, at Topeka, December 28, 1900. 
The general view of those who think of it at all is that an atmosphere of pure 
oxygen would be most deleterious to animal life. That this view is not confined 
to the unscientific may be readily shown by reference to various authors. The 
following may be cited as typical: 
J. F. W. Johnston, in his ‘‘Chemistry of Common Life,’’ published in 1869, 
says: ‘‘Animals breathe oxygen with an increase of pleasure; but it excites them, 
quickens their circulation, throws them into a state of fever, and finally kills 
them by an excess of excitement. They live too rapidly in pure oxygen gas, and 
burn away in it like the fast-flaring candle. Did the atmosphere consist of oxy- 
gen only, the lives of animals would be of most brief duration.”’ 
C. W. Kimmins, in his ‘‘Chemistry of Life and Health,’’ 1892, says: ‘‘The 
removal of nitrogen from the atmosphere would be as fatal as the removal of 
oxygen; and universal death would be accompanied by universal conflagration.”’ 
Gray says: ‘‘The Creator has adapted the atmosphere to the support of life, 
as anything which destroys the relation thus established renders it deleterious ~ 
to the animal constitution.”’ 
Dr. B. W. Richardson seems to be one of the few who have made experiments 
as well as statements. He confined mice in a chamber of oxygen. In the first 
experiment, conducted at a temperature of fifty-five degrees F., the mouse was 
dead at the end of four hours. The second experiment was conducted at a tem- 
perature of seventy-five degrees F., and the mouse was taken out in deep sleep 
