On Purifying the Air in Sick Apartments. 259 



little ammoniacal gas, and a peculiar emanation called con- 

 tagious miafm, which appears to be a particular combination 

 of hydrogenous carbonic acid gas, holding in Solution ani- 

 mal fluids as yet little known. Hydrogen gas almoft always 

 holds in folution pure carbon, phofphorus, &c. from which 

 arifes the fmell of thefe gafes, often fo difagreeable. Car- 

 bonic acid gas would form a much moreconfiderablc part of 

 the atmofphere which furrounds fick perfons, were notrthis 

 gas continually neutralifed and rendered concrete by the am- 

 monia, which is formed and evolved in all difeafes where 

 animal fubftances containing azot are decompofed. It may 

 readily be perceived into what contradiction thofe have 

 fallen who fuppofe air to contain at the fame time carbonic 

 and ammoniacal gas. The abfurdity of expofing in the 

 apartments of the fick, veffels filled with quick-lime, muft alfo 

 be obvious ; the inconvenience of which, in all cafes, is to 

 leave in a difengaged ftate, or to return to the air, the ammo- 

 niacal gas ; the carbonic acid gas, which would otherwife 

 neutralife it, being taken up by the ftronger affinity exerted 

 upon it by the lime; and, in fome cafes, to take away 

 an unrefpirable gas, the prefence of which would be bene- 

 ficial. 



" I have ascertained that in a ftate of health we form by 

 refpiration more water, and in a ftate of difeafe more car- 

 bonic acid. The carbon feems, at a certain temperature, to 

 exercife on the oxygen a ftronger attraction than the hydro- 

 gen can in the fame temperature. Among the principal 

 means for purifying infected air I clafs vaporifed water, 

 which incommodes the patient very little, and takes putrid 

 emanations out of circulation better than the muriatic and 

 acetous acids, or than fpirits, being a better folvent than 

 thefe liquids. When the air is uncharged with ammonia, 

 I would rather let loofe into it the carbonic acid gas than 

 the acetous or any other acid. The cafe in which C. Guy- 

 ton employed with fo much fuccefs the muriatic acid vapours 

 b % w*3 



