McWeeney — Cases of Carbon Monoxide Asphyxiation. 233 



Concluding Remarks. 



Carburetted water-gas is convenient, cheap, and can be more 

 readily and quickly produced in large quantities, to meet sudden 

 emergencies, such as might be caused by fog or by the breakdown 

 of an electric system of lighting, than coal-gas. For these 

 reasons I believe that it has come to stay ; and I should be the last 

 person to reproach a Gras Company for availing itself of so impor- 

 tant an improvement in their procedure. My reason for writing 

 this paper is to warn the public that in dealing with this gas 

 greater precaution is required than in dealing with ordinary coal- 

 gas. The experience of the great American cities shows that 

 where the illuminating-gas consists nearly altogether of water-gas. 

 accidents have increased between fifty- and one hundred-fold from 

 its use. The delivery into houses of so poisonous a gas likewise 

 affords undesirable possibilities for suicide, and even for homicide — 

 facilities which, it would seem, are being increasingly availed of 

 in the United States. 



In view of the fact that whilst little or no danger results from 

 the leakage of ordinary gas, considerable danger does result from 

 leakage of gas containing a considerable proportion of water-gas, 

 the rational and proper course of procedure would, I think, be for 

 the sanitary authorities to take action in the matter. The action 

 which I suggest they should take comprises the following 

 steps : — 



1. To require of companies or persons selling gas to make 

 notification beforehand of their intention to increase the pro- 

 portion of the poisonous constituent (carbon monoxide) in such 

 gas. 



2. To require of such companies or persons that the said 

 poisonous constituent shall not at any time exceed a certain 

 proportion, say 15 or at the utmost 20 per cent, of the total 

 volume of the gas supplied. 



3. To require that when gas containing the full admissible 

 proportion of the said constituent is being supplied, this shall 

 only be during the day : the proportion supplied at night (when 

 people are asleep, and the danger therefore greater) not to 

 exceed 10 per cent. 



4. To require of gas-producing companies that a daily state- 

 ment be made of the proportion of carburetted water-gas supplied. 



SCIEN. PROC. R.D.S., VOL. X., PART II. T 



