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easily liquefied or more soluble gases is very great indeed. As an instance, 
take ammoniacal gas; in the generality of scientific manuals and text-books 
some notice is taken of this, but in very loose terms, the amount of absorption 
being variously given up to “ about ninety times the volume ” of the charcoal 
itself, while my own experiments show that charcoal is capable of absorbing no 
less than 122 volumes of ammonia. 
Now, putting aside certain collateral points for the moment, we may state 
generally that charcoal is taken internally, for the purpose of absorbing and 
masking the action of any acidulous and soluble gases that may be present in 
excess, thereby preventing or greatly diminishing their injurious action ; grant¬ 
ing its usefulness in this respect, the question immediately arises, why not 
sometimes reverse the proposition? Why should not charcoal be made the 
carrier of gaseous bodies suited for the treatment of certain forms of disease, 
but which, under all ordinary methods, are either impossible or very difficult 
to administer ? 
My late experiments have been directed towards this question, and I am 
decidedly of opinion that charcoal, saturated with various gases, may hereafter 
become useful remedial agents. The subject is naturally one which cannot be 
treated lightly, and which requires some extended and patient labour for its 
proper development; but as far as I have already gone, the results are, in my 
opinion, most encouraging. 
In these experiments I have exclusively employed box-wood charcoal as a 
standard material, and I believe it to be about the best adapted for the purpose. 
When this had been raised to the temperature of ignition for the second time, 
in the manner already described, a current of the particular gas or vapour it is 
desired to absorb is passed over it, with a gradually increasing pressure, until the 
retort and its contents are perfectly cold. By particular management the char¬ 
coal can be powdered, and even granulated, without being denuded of the gas 
it has absorbed. 
I am not yet in a position to offer a complete series of experimental results 
and deductions therefrom, bearing upon the therapeutical value of impregnated 
charcoal; but perhaps the trial I am about to describe may not be deemed 
entirely without interest. 
Three healthy young dogs were kept iff a large chamber, specially arranged, 
at a temperature of about 70° F., and were made to breathe large and gradually 
increasing quantities of pure oxygen, for a considerable period (their diet also 
being carefully looked after), until such time as the heart-action and general 
appearance of the' animals indicated that the oxygen had done its work, and 
that fibrinous depositions might reasonably be looked for. The animals were 
removed from the chamber, it being evident that a continued oxygenization 
would probably have been fatal to all; one was simply set free, and fed as usual, 
but it died after about a fortnight; a second was killed instantly, and upon 
being opened, and the heart divided, it was found that all the valves and a 
number of the cardiac vessels were more or less plugged with fibrinous con¬ 
cretions. 
The third animal was fed and treated as usual, except that dram doses of 
granular ammoniated charcoal were administered, at first three times, and latterly 
twice a day. In six weeks the dog was not only living, but had recovered its 
usual health. At the expiration of another fortnight the animal was killed by a 
blow, and examined. The appearance of the viscera was natural, except a slight 
renal congestion, and the heart, on being opened, showed hardly a trace of 
fibrinous deposition ; it had evidently been dissolved away. 
I hope to pursue the subject further at a future time. 
