THE 
AMERICAN NATURALIST. 
Vor. xvu1.— APRIL, 1884.—No. 4. 
THE EXHALATION OF OZONE BY FLOWERING 
PLANTS. 
BY J. M. ANDERS, M.D., PH.D. 
IEA ozone there is, perhaps, no more highly remarkable and 
perplexing substance. Nevertheless there is no substance 
more important to the sanitarian for study and consideration, 
since it has undoubted hygienic bearings, some of which are now 
quite well understood. There is no question but that through its 
oxydizing properties it is the greatest natural purifier of the 
atmosphere. 
It is doubtless nature’s means of ridding our atmosphere of 
organic impurities, and disease germs, which cause, as is well 
known, manifold forms of suffering, and render the air unfit for 
ing purposes. 
We have little certain knowledge of its real nature and many 
" its properties ; and leaving the solution of these more puzzling 
Testjons to the expert chemist, I purpose to adduce evidence 
Ea pew of establishing a newly-discovered source in nature 
iS Important substance. 
= ne can be artificially formed in various ways, to wit: by 
Passing electric discharges through pure oxygen; by the elec- 
: Hika decomposition of water; by suspending a stick of phos- 
SSS i a bottle filled with moist air, and in other ways, It is 
in the atmosphere, but not universally. Fresh, pure 
a close air of generally contains ozone, while it is absent from the 
: the latter meee, and occupied dwellings, for the reason that in 
i Gaia itis consumed in oxydizing and destroying or- 
: air to the nities. For a like reason it is frequently found in the 
€ windward of a city, but rarely or never to the leeward. 
Nok avni, ~no, Iv. 22 ; 
