ORGANIC MATTER OF HUMAN BREATH. 239 



largely present in one case, No. i6, and they were pro- 

 bably equally abundant in case No. 15. 



Probably if the sputa in these cases had been examined, 

 a much larger proportion of matters decomposable by car- 

 bonate of soda would have been found. I would suggest 

 that the presence of these substances_, either in the bron- 

 chial mucus or in the aqueous vapour of the breath, would 

 be a fair indication that their elimination by the kidneys 

 and skin is deficient, and that it might point to the need 

 of measures directed to increase the activity of those 

 organs. 



In one case of Ozaena, the total quantity of ammonia ob- 

 tained was greater than in any of the healthy subjects; 

 but the free ammonia did not seem to be in excess. The 

 case of typhus fever was obtained in the fever wards of 

 the Manchester Royal Infirmary; but it was scarcely a 

 fair example of this disease, since it was already conval- 

 escent ; there was_, however, apparently a deficiency in the 

 total amount of organic matter got rid of from the lungs. 

 I might have attributed this fact to the feebleness of re- 

 spiratory power, the blast of air being insufficient to carry 

 with it much foreign matter, had not the cases of kidney- 

 disease (Nos. 14, 15, 16, and 17) been equally, if not more 

 feeble. 



As a matter of curiosity the air of a railway carriage 

 containing 8 persons was examined, after 1 5 minutes occu- 

 pation, with the windows shut and the ventilators open. 

 In this instance the breath was inspired through the ap- 

 paratus, about 80 inspirations being taken. Perhaps two 

 cubic feet of air would thus pass through the freezing- 

 mixture. Very little mixture was condensed ; but what was 

 obtained was strongly charged both with free ammonia 

 and organic matter (see Table III. No. 18). 



