On the employment of oxygen as a means of resuscitation in asphyxia, and otherwise as a remedial agent / by George Wilson.

  • George Wilson
Date:
1845
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the employment of oxygen as a means of resuscitation in asphyxia, and otherwise as a remedial agent / by George Wilson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    application of the flame. The gas begins to come off in a few seconds after the light is applied, and literally gushes in a full stream, till the whole is evolved. The metallic oxide suffers no change ; but the chlorate, at a temperature much below that requisite if it be heated alone, pai'ts with the whole of its oxygen, and becomes converted into chloride of potassium. The mode in which the oxide acts, in so re- markably increasing the rapidity with which chloride of potass can be decomposed, has been made the subject of special inquiry by Mitscherlich, and will be found discussed in the recent part of Taylor's Scientific Memoirs.* I do not stop, however, to say any thing concerning the theory of this action. It is of more importance to substan- tiate the certainty and practicability of the process ; and, in proof of this, it may be enough to mention, that, in the che- mical laboratories of this city, and everywhere else, I sup- pose, where it is known, this method of preparing oxygen has supplanted every other. For mixture with the chlorate, the black oxide of copper, obtained by calcining the nitrate of copper, or the native black oxide of manganese, is generally made use of. But they have disadvantages in reference to their employment in medical practice. The oxide of copper is too expensive, and cannot be everywhere procured. The oxide of manganese, on the other hand, is never pure, and frequently contains carbonates, which would yield their carbonic acid when heated along with the chlorate, and deteriorate the oxygen with carbonic acid—the worst possible gas that could be thrown into the lungs of an asphyxiated person. The native oxide of manganese is, therefore, quite inadmissible, unless it have been previously raised to a full red heat; and even then is objectionable, on the ground of its variable composition, and the uncertainty of procuring it everywhere, as neither it nor any of its compounds are employed in pharmacy. I find, however, that the common red or peroxide of iron acts as well as the oxide of copper or of manganese ; and, as it can be procured or prepared easily everywhere, and is * Vol. iv., Part 13, page 9.
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