622 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1911. 
of the House. When the division bell rings, the current is switched 
from the House on to the division lobbies. Hour after hour the same 
uniformity is maintained, which leads the open-air man to complain 
that it is too hot, and the old East Indian to revile the cold. The 
fault lies in the uniformity. When the House is cleared for division, 
it should be swept, in our opinion, with a current of coo! air straight 
from the water sprays. 
In such conditions of uniformity an ozonizer, just as a cigarette, 
may relieve the tedium of the nervous system. Ozonized air may 
help under the depressing conditions which obtain in many shops and 
factories by varying the stimulation cf the nervous system. 
Tt has been claimed that traces of ozone in the atmosphere, by its 
oxidizing properties, destroy dust, bacteria, noxious gases, and render 
the air pure. There is no doubt that ozone in the presence of water 
and in strong concentration is a powerful oxidizing agent. It is 
actually used for the sterilization of the water supply of certain towns. 
The ozonized air is thoroughly mixed with the water and brought into 
intimate contact with the bacteria. On dry bacteria concentrated 
ozone has no action (Ohlmiiller'). In week concentrations, such 
as can be inhaled safely, we found ozone had no sterilizing effect when 
bubbled through moist cultures of Bacillus coli communis. The ozone 
only acts on the surface, and in weak concentrations can not be ex- 
pected to pass through relatively thick layers of wet material. 
Erlandsen and Schwarz rightly point out that there is no justifica- 
tion for the assertion made by Libbert that ‘‘organic dust, ili-smell- 
ing particles, and agents of infection can not exist in the presence of 
ozone, and that a demonstrable excess of ozone indicates absolute 
purity of the air.” 
Owing to its powerful bactericidal action when passed through 
water in high concentrations, it might be thought that inhalation 
of ozone would be of value in the treatment of infections of the re- 
spiratory tract, and such inhalations have been used, e. g., for pulmo- 
nary tuberculosis. 
Against the use of all such bactericidal agents in the treatment of 
pulmonary disease is the fact that the bacilli are growing in the sub- 
stance of the wet tissues, and therefore to kill the bacilli a concen- 
tration must be used which would also kill the tissues. 
One of the most potent methods of treatment is to draw blood 
in increased volume to the infected part, by fomentations, blisters, 
etc., the blood itself having bactericidal and immunizing properties. 
We suggest that inhalation of weak concentrations of ozone, by 
mildly irritating the respiratory tract, may bring more blood to the 
part and thus have the curative effect of a fomentation or blister. 
1 Arbeiten a. d. Kais. Gesundheitsamte, vol. 8, p. 229, 
