The Mutual Toxic Effects of Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen, and Oxygen When Respired Under High Pressure
Abstract
In the past sixty years with the advent of submarines,
spaceflights, and new diving apparatus, there has been considerable
work on the toxic effects of Carbon Dioxide (C02),
Oxygen (02), and Nitrogen (N2), when they are respired under
high pressures. In a considerable number of articles the
authors have treated one of these gases alone, holding the
others as controls. I believe and hope this paper will
point out that when considering the toxic mechanisms of one
of these gases under high pressures, the other gas pressures
and their effects must be considered as relevant participants
in any mechanism. In this paper I shall attempt to point
out a number of sites where the mutual effects of all gases
must be considered before an accurate evaluation as to the
nature of any mechanism can be made. This will be accomplished
largely by collecting and arranging observed effects
in such a way as to make the interelations obvious, rather
than at every point making an actual statement of the mutual
effect.