A NEW METHOD OF EMPLOYING CHARCOAL. 
663 
sustaining my contention are these, that charcoal after the heat 
leaves it, is stored away until needed. It is then powdered, 
placed in bottle, tin or paper boxes, it makes no difference 
which, placed in stock until called for. From the time of 
manufacture to the time of use it-may be from one month to 
one year. We place it in bottles or in our medicine drawers, 
or perhaps we leave it in its original package, lay it aside in a 
secluded corner, usually on the floor of our medicine case so that 
it can be easily reached and still out of the way. Whenever 
necessary, we take as much as we wish, rush off, usually leaving 
the box or whatever receptacle it is kept in uncovered until we 
return. In due time it is placed away for future use. 
Now from the time of its manufacture to the time of its 
employment there is no reason why it will not absorb whatever 
gases that there are in the surrounding atmosphere it comes in 
contact with, and if it does not absorb gases that are in an un¬ 
healthy atmosphere, it will absorb gases that are in a normal 
atmosphere, and irrespective of the quality of the gases, whether 
they be harmless or injurious. The charcoal from the period of 
its manufacture to the time of its employment has been so sur¬ 
charged with gaseous matters, supersaturated as it were with 
the surrounding atmospheric constituents, extra laden with the 
gaseous elements, that when it is administered for the relief of 
gaseous distention it cannot, it will not and it does not absorb 
gases, for the reasons which I have stated, but it will absorb gas 
if it is properly prepared before employment. It will positively 
perform its proper chemical action, it will most assuredly come 
to our relief, and I can honestly state that I have had the most 
surprising and gratifying results from its use, and I can still add 
that if our patient has not developed some fatal lesions due to 
distention our case will terminate favorably. 
I could recite case after case in which the results were most 
astonishing. The action of it was rapid, effectual and positive, 
but we must first do one thing and that is to drive off all those 
gases that are in the charcoal. We can do that by heat. Heat 
the charcoal and when it is sufficiently cool to handle place in 
