Considerations on the medicinal use of factitious airs and on the manner of obtaining them / [Thomas Beddoes].

  • Thomas Beddoes
Date:
[1794?]-1796
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Considerations on the medicinal use of factitious airs and on the manner of obtaining them / [Thomas Beddoes]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    (4a, ) their diftreffing heats. I have reafon to believe, that by in{piring this mixture once or twice after going to bed, the night fever and {weat may be prevented. For this. purpofe, the patient fhould take from halfa cubic foot to a cubic foot of hydrogene mixed with common air, be- fore he falls afleep, and after awaking for the firft time. In the opinion I formerly advanced concerning the fo- porific virtue of a reduced atmofphere (Ob/ervations on Calculus, p. 80), 1am fomewhat confirmed by fubfequent occurrences. A perfon in confumption, who, for months, had taken opium at night, on breathing hydro- gene freely,. could fleep perfeétly well without opium. He remarked, that his fleep was more profound than ufual. The air of his room being largely mixed with hydrogene, his fervant neceffarily infpired much of it. The man had been accuftomed to reft il]; and now {pon- taneoufly remarked, ‘ that he did not know what was ** come to him, he flept fo found.” ; At firft Lhave thought hydrogene air toimpair the ap- petite. But the effe& has not been permanent. ‘Hydro- gene from folution perhaps produces naulea by its difa- greeable {mell. Carbonic acid air fhould not be ufed at firftin greater : | 1 proportion to atmofpheric than from > to x. I have been furprifed that this acid air fhould have proved fo grateful to the lungs. I have never feen or heard of its exciting pain or coughing in confirmed confumption.— It has even inftantaneoufly relieved phthifical dyfpnoea in feveral cafes, which other unrefpirable airs have done alfo. The faéts related in Se&. XII. will perhaps help to folve the difficulty concerning the mild aétion of carbonic acid on ulcerated lungs. This atid air, during the day, and hydrogene at night (to prevent fever), may, 1 think, be ufefully combined. The ufe of hydrocarbonate air requires repeated pre- cautions. Though this appeared not at all more fud- denly deleterious than carbonic acid to animals immerfed in thefe fluids, it producesa much more powerfully de- preffing effe€t, when infpired in mixture with atmofphe- ric air: 100 cubic inches of hydrocarbonate with 1200 of atmofpheric, breathed at fhort intervals, have fenfibly weakene
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