GLASS IT. 1. 6. 7. OF SENSATION 247 



its oxygen. This I hope future experiments will confirm, and 

 that the pneumatic medicine will alleviate the evils of mankind 

 in many others, as well as in this most fatal malady. 



M. M . First, the respiration of air lowered by an additional 

 quantity of azote, or mixed with some proportion of hydrogen, 

 or of carbonic acid air, maybe tried; as described in a late pub- 

 lication of Dr. Beddoes on the medicinal use of factitious airs. 

 Johnson, London. Or lastly, by breathing a mixrure of one- 

 tenth part of hydrocarbonate mixed with common air, according 

 to the discovery of Mr. Watt, which has a double advantage in 

 these cases, of diluting the oxygen of the atmospheric air, and 

 inducing sickness, which increases pulmonary absorption, as 

 mentioned below. An atmosphere diluted with fixed air (car- 

 bonic acid) might be readily procured by setting tubs of new 

 \vort, or fermenting beer, in the parlour and lodging-room of 

 the patient. For it is not acids floating in the air, but the oxygen 

 or acidifying principle, which injures or enlarges pulmonary ul- 

 cers by combining with the purulent matter. 



Another easy method of adding carbonic acid gas to the air 

 of a room would be by means of an apparatus invented by Mr. 

 Watt, and sold by Bolton and Watt, at Birmingham, as described 

 in Dr. Beddoes' Treatise on Pneumatic Medicine. Johnson, 

 London. It consists of an iron pot, with an arm projecting, and 

 a method of letting water drop by slow degrees on chalk, which 

 is to be put into the iron pot, and exposed to a moderate degree 

 of heat over a common fire. By occasionally adding more and 

 more chalk, carbonic acid gas might be carried through a tin pipe 

 from the arm of the iron pot to any part of the room near the 

 patient, or from an adjoining room. In the same manner a dif- 

 fusion of solution of flowers of zinc might be produced and 

 breathed by the patient, and would be likely much to contribute 

 to the healing of pulmonary ulcers; as observed by Mr. Watt. 

 See the treatise above mentioned. 



Breathing over the vapour of caustic volatile alkali might easily 

 be managed for many hours in a day; which might neutralize the 

 acid poison formed on pulmonary ulcers by the contact of oxygen, 

 and thus prevent its deleterious quality, as other acids become less 

 caustic, when they are formed into neutral salts with alkalies. 

 The volatile salt should be put into a tin canister, with two pipes 

 like horns from the top of it, one to suck the air from, and the 

 other to admit it. 



Secondly, the external ulcers in scrofulous habits are pale and 

 flabby, and naturally disinclined to heal, the deposition of fluids 

 in them being greater than the absorption; these ulcers have 

 their appearance immediately changed by the external application 



