up this air (supposing the cork to be quite tight), take it into my lungs,
and throw it back into the jar.
[Illustration: Fig. 33.]
We can then examine it, and see the result. You observe, I first take up
the air, and then throw it back, as is evident from the ascent and descent
of the water; and now, by putting a taper into the air, you will see the
state in which it is, by the light being extinguished. Even one
inspiration, you see, has completely spoiled this air, so that it is no
use my trying to breathe it a second time. Now, you understand the ground
of the impropriety of many of the arrangements among the houses of the
poorer classes, by which the air is breathed over and over again, for the
want of a supply, by means of proper ventilation, sufficient to produce a
good result. You see how bad the air becomes by a single breathing; so
that you can easily understand how essential fresh air is to us.
To pursue this a little further, let us see what will happen with
lime-water. Here is a globe which contains a little lime-water, and it is
so arranged as regards the pipes, as to give access to the air within, so
that we can ascertain the effect of respired or unrespired air upon it. Of
course, I can either draw in air (through A), and so make the air that
feeds my lungs go through the lime-water, or I can force the air out of my
lungs through the tube (B), which goes to the bottom, and so shew its
effect upon the lime-water.
[Illustration: Fig. 34.]
You will observe that, however long I draw the external air into the
lime-water, and then through it to my lungs, I shall produce no effect
upon the water—it will not make the lime-water turbid; but if I throw the
air _from_ my lungs through the lime-water, several times in succession,
you see how white and milky the water is getting, shewing the effect which
expired air has had upon it; and now you begin to know that the atmosphere
which we have spoiled by respiration is spoiled by carbonic acid, for you
see it here in contact with the lime-water.
I have here two bottles, one containing lime-water and the other common
water, and tubes which pass into the bottles and connect them. The
apparatus is very rough, but it is useful notwithstanding.
[Illustration: Fig. 35.]
If I take these two bottles, inhaling here and exhaling there, the
arrangement of the tubes will prevent the air going backwards. The air
coming in will go to my mouth and lungs, and in going out, will pass
through the lime-water, so that I can go on breathing and making an
experiment, very refined in its nature, and very good in its results. You
will observe that the good air has done nothing to the lime-water; in the
other case nothing has come to the lime-water but my respiration, and you
see the difference in the two cases.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account