Part 56

Of Accidents or Symptoms produced by the Vapours of Coal, and of Wine.

Sec. 524. Not a single Year passes over here, without the Destruction of many People by the Vapour of Charcoal, or of small Coal, and by the Steam or Vapour of Wine.

The Symptoms by Coal occur, when small Coal, and especially when Charcoal is burnt in a Chamber close shut, which is direct Poison to a Person shut up in it. The sulphureous Oil, which is set at Liberty and diffused by the Action of Fire, expands itself through the Chamber; while those who are in it perceive a Disorder and Confusion in their Heads; contract Vertigos, Sickness at Stomach, a Weakness, and very unusual Kind of Numbness; become raving, convulsed and trembling; and if they fail of Presence of Mind, or of Strength, to get out of the Chamber, they die within a short Time.

La Braise.

Charbon. Dr. Tissot informs me, their Difference consists in this, that the Charcoal is prepared from Wood burnt in a close or stifled Fire; and that the small Coal is made of Wood (and of smaller Wood) burnt in an open Fire, and extinguished before it is reduced to the State of a Cinder. He says the latter is smaller, softer, less durable in the Fire, and the Vapour of it less dangerous than that of Charcoal.

I have seen a Woman who had vertiginous Commotions in her Head for two Days, and almost continual Vomitings, from her having been confined less than six Minutes in a Chamber (and that notwithstanding, both one Window and one Door were open) in which there was a Chafing-dish with some burning Coals. Had the Room been quite close, she must have perished by it.

This Vapour is narcotic or stupefying, and proves mortal in Consequence of its producing a sleepy or apoplectic Disorder, though blended, at the same time, with something convulsive; which sufficiently appears from the Closure of the Mouth, and the strict Contraction or Locking of the Jaws.

The Condition of the Brain, in the dissected Bodies of Persons thus destroyed, proves that they die of an Apoplexy: notwithstanding it is very probable that Suffocation is also partly the Cause of their Deaths; as the Lungs have been found stuffed up with Blood and livid.

It has also been observed in some other such Bodies, that Patients killed by the Vapour of burning Coals, have commonly their whole Body swelled out to one third more than their Magnitude, when living. The Face, Neck, and Arms are swelled out, as if they had been blown up; and the whole human Machine appears in such a State, as the dead Body of a Person would, who had been violently strangled; and who had made all possible Resistance for a long time, before he was overpowered.

Sec. 525. Such as are sensible of the great Danger they are in, and retreat seasonably from it, are generally relieved as soon as they get into the open Air; or if they have any remaining Uneasiness, a little Water and Vinegar, or Lemonade, drank hot, affords them speedy Relief. But when they are so far poisoned, as to have lost their Feeling and Understanding, if there be any Means of reviving them, such Means consist,

1, In exposing them to a very pure, fresh and open Air.

2, In making them smell to some very penetrating Odour, which is somewhat stimulating and reviving, such as the volatile Spirit of Sal Ammoniac, the English Salt; and afterwards to surround them, as it were, with the Steam of Vinegar.

See Note Page 495.

3, In taking some Blood from their Arm.

4, In putting their Legs into warm or hot Water, and chafing them well.

5, In making them swallow, if practicable, much Lemonade, or Water and Vinegar, with the Addition of Nitre: and,

6, In throwing up some sharp Glysters.

As it is manifest there is something spasmodic in these Cases, it were proper to be provided with some antispasmodic Remedies, such as the Mineral Anodyne Liquid of Hoffman. Even Opium has sometimes been successfully given here, but it should be allowed to Physicians only to direct it in such Cases.

A Vomit would be hurtful; and the Reachings to vomit arise only from the Oppression on the Brain.

It is a common but erroneous Opinion, that if the Coal be suffered to burn for a Minute or so in the open Air, or in a Chimney, it is sufficient to prevent any Danger from the Vapour of it.

Hence it amounts even to a criminal Degree of Imprudence, to sleep in a Chamber while Charcoal or small Coal is burning in it; and the Number of such imprudent Persons, as have never awaked after it, is so considerable, and so generally known too, that the Continuance of this unhappy Custom is astonishing.

Sec. 526. The Bakers, who make Use of much small Coal, often keep great Quantities of it in their Cellars, which frequently abound so much with the Vapour of it, that it seizes them violently the Moment they enter into the Cellar. They sink down at once deprived of all Sensation, and die if they are not drawn out of it soon enough to be assisted, according to the Directions I have just given.

One certain Means of preventing such fatal Accidents is, upon going into the Cellar to throw some flaming Paper or Straw into it, and if these continue to flame out and consume, there is no Reason for dreading the Vapour: but if they should be extinguished, no Person should venture in. But after opening the Vent-hole, a Bundle of flaming Straw must be set at the Door, which serves to attract the external Air strongly. Soon after the Experiment of the flaming Paper must be repeated, and if it goes out, more Straw is to be set on Fire before the Cellar Door.

Sec. 527. Small Coal, burnt in an open Fire, is not near so dangerous as Charcoal, properly so called, the Danger of which arises from this, that in extinguishing it by the usual Methods, all those sulphureous Particles of it, in which its Danger consists, are concentred. Nevertheless, small Coal is not entirely deprived of all its noxious Quality, without some of which it could not strictly be Coal.

The common Method of throwing some Salt on live Coals, before they are conveyed into a Chamber; or of casting a Piece of Iron among them to imbibe some Part of their deadly narcotic Sulphur, is not without its Utility; though by no means sufficient to prevent all Danger from them.

Sec. 528. When the most dangerous Symptoms from this Cause disappear, and there remains only some Degree of Weakness, of Numbness, and a little Inappetency, or Loathing at Stomach, nothing is better than Lemonade with one fourth Part Wine, half a Cup of which should frequently be taken, with a small Crust of Bread.

Sec. 529. The Vapour which exhales from Wine, and in general from all fermenting Liquors, such as Beer, Cyder, &c. contains something poisonous, which kills in the like Manner with the Vapour of Coal; and there is always some Danger in going into a Cellar, where there is much Wine in the State of Fermentation; if it has been shut up close for several Hours. There have been many Examples of Persons struck dead on entering one, and of others who have escaped out of it with Difficulty.

When such unhappy Accidents occur, Men should not be successively exposed, one after another, to perish, by endeavouring to fetch out the first who sunk down upon his Entrance; but the Air should immediately be purified by the Method already directed, or by discharging some Guns into the Cellar; after which People may venture in with Precaution. And when the Persons unfortunately affected are brought out, they are to be treated like those, who were affected with the Coal-Vapour.