622 ANNUAL. KEPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1911. 



of the House. When the division bell rings, the current is switched 

 from the House on to the division lobbies. Horn 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 cool 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 of the nervous system. 



It 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 (Ohlmuller . In weak 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 Liibbert that "organic dust, ill-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. 



i Arbeiten a. d. Kais. Gesnndheitsamte, vol. 8, p. 229. 



