Methods of air analysis / by J.S. Haldane.

  • John Scott Haldane
Date:
1920
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Methods of air analysis / by J.S. Haldane. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    147/162 page 129
    RECOGNITION OF OTHER POISONOUS GASES. The recognition in air, or determination, by chemical tests, of commonly occurring poisonous gases and vapours other than carbon monoxide is usually of minor practical importance, as they may be recognised by smell or by their irritant action on the nose, eyes, and air- passages. This is the case, for instance, with chlorine, sulphurous acid, ammonia, acid fumes, sulphuretted hydrogen, phosphoretted hydrogen, nitrous fumes, and practically all the gases and vapours used in warfare. In any case, however, where the presence of a poisonous gas, for any reason difficult to detect, is suspected, the test with a mouse or bird may be employed. The smell of a poisonous gas is often difficult to detect on account of the presence of other odorous but possibly harmless substances. Nitrous fumes, phosgene, and other lung-irritant gases or vapours used in warfare, are of special import¬ ance on account of their treacherous action. They have this in common, that a person exposed to them in sufficient concentration to produce comparatively slight irritation of the eyes and air-passages may die within the next day or two from acute inflammation of the lungs and air-passages. With other ordinary irritant gases there seems to be no such danger from a slight exposure, as any symptoms of irritation improve steadily after removal from the irritant atmosphere. Nitrous fumes can be recognised chemically by the fact that a strip of paper moistened with a solution of starch
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