Deadly Carbon Monoxide

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 72, 26 March 1936, Page 4

Deadly Carbon Monoxide

“MUCH WOEFUL IGNORANCE.” ; SURGEON’S STERN WARNING. , SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 4. Tho ■ recent tragic death of tho glamorous’-cinema actress, Miss Thelma Todd,' in Los Angeles district has aroused nation-wido attention to the over-present dangers of carbon monoxide poison, and. Dr. A. F. Wagner, chief county autopsy surgeon of Los Angeles, has issued a warning for all persons to be on guard against tho dangerous vapours. The penalty for ignorance, he says, may bo death. “Thelma Todd's tragic death by inhalation of carbon monoxide, and tho equally tragic deaths occurring every year from the same cause, show that still too many peoplo are woefully ignorant of tho deadly nature of this gas,” he said. Ho pointed out that reliance should not be placed on a number of ordinary safeguards, such as warning symptoms, pans of water on or near gas stoves, or.an open window. Some people have warning symptoms of dizziness, headache, faintness and the like, when their blood contains between 30 to 50 per cent, saturation,” he said. “Others have no warning symptoms of any kind, but. suddenly relapse into unconsciousness, followed by death, although if rescued soon enough after becoming unconscious occasionally someone revives and lives.”

As to the pan of water, Dr. Wagner said: “Some people think a pan of water on the stove will absorb noxious gases, but this is another foolish notion. Tho water vaporises and keeps one’s throat from getting distressfully dry, and may absorb a very minute quantity of gas, but as a protector from poisonous gases its value is equal to zero. Put not your trust in pans of water, big or little!” Proper ventilation, particularly of bedrooms, was essential. But ventilation would not guarantee anyone against becoming poisoned if tho gas was present in the room. Gas Mixes with Air. “Whether tho gas forms because of insufficient oxygon, or whether it forma from a defective gas stove, or whether it filters in from an adjoining room or basement, even though tho window is open,, the gas will not fly immediately out of tho room,” Dr. Wagner, said. ‘‘lt diffuses or mixes with the air in the room, and an occupant will, of course, inhale some of it. Whatever amount he inhales accumulates in the blood, and it depends entirely on the concentration of gas in the room and the time an occupant is in such room as to whether he will survive.” Dr. Wagner explained that tho gas forms whenever the elemont carbon in any inflammable or explosive material is prevented from combining with enough oxygen to form carbon dioxide, no said it is generated in automobile engines and other similar engines in explosions in mines, in closed spaces, in tho centres of largo fires in the open air, in rooms wherp the furnishings are slowly burning with windows and doors shut, in stoves or furnaces, in lime kilns and the like. Carbon monoxide, after | it is inhaled, occupies part of the blood. 1 With continued inhalation it is only a question of time until so large a quantity of tho blood will bo occupied by the mo'noxide that sufficient oxygen cannot bo carried to. the tissues to sustain | life. I