Literature of Ozone. 365 



and many sulphides into their corresponding sulphates. It de- 

 stroys (as has since heen more elaborately demonstrated by Hou- 

 zeau, 1872) many gaseous compounds of hydrogen, like those 

 with sulphur, selenium, phosphorus, iodine, arsenic, and anti- 

 mony. It discharges vegetable colors and powerfully attacks 

 many organic bodies. The nature of its action in the latter 

 case has been more extensively studied by Grorup-Besanez (1863), 

 and he has described the products of the reactions which occiu 

 when ozone is allowed to act upon organic substances, alone or 

 in presence of alkali. 



2d. According to Schonbein, ozone is insoluble in water. The 

 observations of subsequent experimenters conflict on this point, 

 but there appears to be much evidence to show that it is soluble 

 in water, though only in small degree. 



3d. Schonbein pointed out that atmospheric air strongly 

 charged with ozone, acts powerfully on the mucous membranes, 

 and produces symptoms of catarrh. This, and his analogous 

 statement that ozone is present in the atmosphere and plays there 

 a very important role,, attracted to the subject not only great 

 popular attention, but enlisted as observers a multitude of stu- 

 dents of medicine the world over, who hailed the newly discov- 

 ered body as an invaluable therapeutic agent, and rushed forward 

 to establish, by sufficiently numerous observations, the relations 

 between its presence or absence in the atmosphere, and the kind 

 and prevalence of disease. Thirty years have passed away, and 

 neither anticipation has been realized. Indeed, at the present 

 hour, the possible value of ozone as a therapeutic agent, is obscured 

 by its having fallen into the hands of empirics ; and the multipli- 

 cation of inexact observations, and the crude and hasty generali- 

 zations therefrom, have covered with a sort of scientific oppro- 

 brium the whole subject of Atmospheric Ozone. 



What causes have led to these lamentable results in the past ? 

 what prospects are there that both subjects can be reinstated in 

 good scientific standing in the future ? 



And first, with regard to ozone as a therapeutic agent. With- 

 out considering at present the unsettled questions of a medical 



