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Hearthside Tales

27 Oct 2022

In the autumn of 1912, an anonymous family in the United States of America lost their home to a fire. With winter approaching, they take the next house they can find that would be able to give them warmth and shelter. The house had been abandoned for roughly a decade, and as they settle in, they begin to learn why. What begins as distant footsteps and dragging sounds grows into violent crashes and ringing bells. The family and staff see strangers in their home, waking them in the night and following them around corners. By winter, the children have stopped playing and the plants have died; the life seemingly draining from the household. It is not until the children talk about the strangers they are seeing in the home that the staff begins to raise the alarm, only to find out the parents had been seeing them as well.

“A strange woman, dark haired and dressed in black” -mother

“[A] big fat man”-child

“[A woman] young, dark and slight, [wearing] a large picture hat. [A] man [who is] older, smooth shaven and a little bald”-staff

“An old man in overshoes walking slowly along”-staff

History revealed that the family was just another in a long line of families that had been haunted in this home. In disbelief, the family refused to accept they were being haunted, and instead followed advice of the husband’s brother – perhaps they had been poisoned. A newspaper article had taught him about “water-gas” poisoning, and how it may lead to delusions. Sure enough, a doctor examined the house and found a faulty furnace that was trapping carbon monoxide in the house. The family was likely just days away from a far more tragic ending. ¹

This haunting tale is one of the earliest reports of the hallucinogenic effects of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. In his 1921 paper, Dr. Wilmer also casually mentions another example of hallucination by CO poisoning, wherein coal miners that saw “the gray mare” had to be immediately taken to fresh air¹. There is a long, complex history of how CO poisoning has been intertwined with the human experience. Hopper et al. provides examples like early man learning the limitations of heating their dwellings, potential ritualistic use, and high-profile deaths throughout history (ex: Cleopatra), leading up to Priestley’s 1772 formal “discovery” of CO, modern knowledge on CO production, therapeutic (ex: anesthesia) potential, and more². The symptoms of CO poisoning were documented well before the molecule was actually discovered, simply because of its association with combustion. There is evidence that humans have been experiencing CO poisoning literally since the invention of fire^2,3. Our knowledge is of course limited by the written record, but some sources show that symptoms were reported as early as 130 CE³. Thanks to our long history with CO, today we know a great deal about how to control it, and our individual exposure. It has a binding affinity higher than oxygen in hemoglobin⁴, meaning it replaces oxygen in the blood.

So, now that we know so much about CO poisoning, have we stopped seeing ghosts? No. In 2005, Dr. Ong published the case of a woman found panicked in her bathroom⁵. She had seen a ghost while in the bath. The CO-poisoning diagnosis was made promptly and the patient was able to recover, but only because the psychiatrist noted the mention of a new water heater that had recently been installed – a comment that could have easily been overlooked. CO poisoning is exceedingly difficult to diagnose without knowing the events leading up to the onset of symptoms. Symptoms may mimic illicit drug use, panic attacks, or other common conditions resulting from poor blood-oxygen levels^3,5. Subsequently, the patient’s ability to communicate their situation may be compromised. Worse yet, symptoms abate with minimal treatment. If a person is exposed to CO in the home, and goes to see a doctor, simply leaving the home may improve symptoms, only for the patient to go home and get sick once again.

Mankind’s dependance on combustion has led to a complicated interplay with the toxic byproducts of combustion. Many nations have invested in tools, technology, and legislation in an attempt to control air quality and emissions for the sake of human and environmental health. In the northeastern United States, where Restek’s headquarters is located, the Environmental Protection Agency reports that CO concentrations have decreased 61% between 2000-2021, with the national average down 87% from 1987-2021. The United States’ Clean Air Act (1990) set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for CO in addition to lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particle pollution, and sulfur dioxide. In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law, legally defining carbon dioxide, hydrofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride as air pollutants as well. With new legislation emerging, there will be an increased need for analytical tools that can monitor and measure emissions from traditional combustion energy sources, in addition to emerging clean energy sources. While clean energy sources are generally expected to produce water, a comprehensive understanding of emissions will likely still be necessary. Gas chromatography is a commonly used technique for analyzing greenhouse gases, especially those produced in agriculture such as methane, though techniques can be complicated and may require a variety of columns^6,7. There is still a great deal to learn about the best ways to navigate our relationship with combustion as the world continues to adapt.

Hearthside Tales

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