220 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



percentage of CO be increased from six to twelve, the chance of 

 being poisoned is not twice, or even four times, but eight times as 

 great as before the increase ; and if the CO becomes three times as 

 abundant as heretofore, the chances of being poisoned become 

 increased no less than twenty-sevenfold. I was recently asked 

 the very pertinent question, what number of the Dublin fatalities 

 would have been averted had the supply consisted of ordinary coal- 

 gas. The nearest approach to a correct answer is to be expected 

 from a survey of the statistics of deaths from this cause certified 

 in Dublin during the twenty years previous to the commence- 

 ment of the introduction of water-gas. To the kindness of the 

 Begistrar- General (R. E. Matheson, Esq., LL.D.), who was good 

 enough to have the Dublin death tabulation sheets, for the 

 years 1880-1900, examined, I owe the important information that 

 during that period no death was tabulated as having resulted 

 from coal-gas poisoning. 1 During the four years that have 

 elapsed since the addition of earburetted water-gas has begun to 

 be practised, there have been in Dublin ten cases, with seven 

 deaths due to that cause. It would therefore seem impossible to 

 escape from the conclusion that coal-gas with this addition 

 constitutes a new source of danger to the community — one which 

 is readily avoidable, no doubt, but which ought not to be 

 completely overlooked. The cases that have occurred since the 

 publication of Dr. Eeynolds's paper afford a full justification for 

 the words of warning which he thought it his duty to utter, and 

 in the course of which, whilst deprecating " undue alarm " and 

 " exaggerated fears," he emphasized the need for " increased 

 caution in dealing with the new gas." 



G-roup I. (comprising Cases 1, 2, 3 and 4). 



These occurred in November, 1901, in a small house, No. 9 r 

 Eccles-place, to which gas was not laid on. It contained only two 

 rooms, one over the other. In the upper room slept an elderly 

 man of the working class (J. C, aged seventy, coal-labourer), and 



1 In 1895 a death occurred which, according to the finding of the coroner's jury, was 

 caused by ' ' coma from congestion of brain and lungs, due to inhalation (accidental) of 

 poisonous gases at Gas Company's premises." 



