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duce a spark to run the risk of the explosion which would almost surely 

 follow. The writer has personally experienced the formation of such 

 a spark when turning off a light, and it very frequently occurs when 

 turning it on. The danger from gas and arc lights is too apparent 

 to need more than mention. It would be a matter of courtesy as well 

 as a measure of safety to inform occupants of adjoining rooms of the 

 nature of the work being done and the need for care in regard to fire 

 should the fumes find entrance to their establishments. An additional 

 safeguard would be to station a watchman on the premises till the 

 treatment is ended. The danger to the operator making the exposure 

 is |)ut slight if he knows the nature and effects of the gas. As soon as 

 he finds that he is being overcome and getting dizzy, he should at once 

 get out into the open air. 



EFFECTS OF THE GAS UPON THE OPERATOR. 



The first appreciable effect is upon the sense of smell. At first the 

 fumes have an extremely disagreeable odor; but the odor soon seems 

 to gradually disappear, and in this treatment the men strongly doubted 

 that they were using the same substance with which they began. This 

 deadening of the smell continues until it is complete. The other senses 

 seem to become benumbed simultaneously, so that the operator does 

 not feel or realize that any change is taking place in him. But the 

 heart beat becomes more and more rapid as the supply of oxygen in 

 the lungs diminishes. The power of thought is very much weakened 

 and the work is continued in a mechanical sort of way. Hearing and 

 sight are also weakened; in fact, consciousness itself is being gradually 

 lost. But before this weakening process has gone far enough to be 

 really dangerous or injurious the operator feels rather "queer" in the 

 head, with more or less dizziness. There is no pain or disagreeable 

 sensation, no desire to escape out of it, and no sense of suffocation. 

 But when a person reaches this condition it is high time to get out 

 into the open air, where the ill effects will soon disappear. Should the 

 operator persist in remaining longer in the room after this condition 

 is reached there would be danger of a fall; and if no one happened to be 

 near, his presence might not be missed and suffocation would soon 

 follow. Even if he should get out safety the after effects would be 

 more serious and a severe headache, at least, result. It should be 

 clearly understood, however, that the action of the gas is somewhat 

 poisoning as well as suffocating. These observations concerning the 

 effects of the gas upon the men are gathered from personal expe- 

 rience and the statements of others engaged in making the treatment 

 herein reported. 



Owing to the effect of the gas upon the action of the heart, the 

 writer believes that it would be wise to caution persons having any 



4670— No. 30—01 6 



