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The Projectile-Vehicle
Thelungsabsorbtheoxygen,whichisindispensableforthesupportoflife,andrejectthenitrogen.Theairexpiredlosesnearlyfivepercent.oftheformerandcontainsnearlyanequalvolumeofcarbonicacid,producedbythecombustionoftheelementsoftheblood.Inanair-tightenclosure,then,afteracertaintime,alltheoxygenoftheairwillbereplacedbythecarbonicacid—agasfataltolife.Thereweretwothingstobedonethen—first,toreplacetheabsorbedoxygen;secondly,todestroytheexpiredcarbonicacid;botheasyenoughtodo,bymeansofchlorateofpotassiumandcausticpotash.Theformerisasaltwhichappearsundertheformofwhitecrystals;whenraisedtoatemperatureof400degreesitistransformedintochlorureofpotassium,andtheoxygenwhichitcontainsisentirelyliberated.Nowtwenty-eightpoundsofchlorateofpotassiumproducessevenpoundsofoxygen,or2,400litres—thequantitynecessaryforthetravelersduringtwenty-fourhours.
Causticpotashhasagreataffinityforcarbonicacid;anditissufficienttoshakeitinorderforittoseizeupontheacidandformbicarbonateofpotassium.Bythesetwomeanstheywouldbeenabledtorestoretothevitiatedairitslife-supportingproperties.
Itisnecessary,however,toaddthattheexperimentshadhithertobeenmadeinanimavili.Whateveritsscientificaccuracywas,theywereatpresentignoranthowitwouldanswerwithhumanbeings.ThehonorofputtingittotheproofwasenergeticallyclaimedbyJ.T.Maston
