The Effect of Smoking on the Carbon Monoxide Content of Blood

A careful study of the carbon monoxide content of the blood of normal individuals living in New York City has recently been made by Gettler and Mattice, 1 and the suggestion is made that smoking is apt to be the most conspicuous factor in determining the carboxy-hemoglobin of an individual under normal conditions when he is not exposed to obvious high percentages of carbon monoxide. Similar observations made at the same time in Chicago confirm this conclusion. Analyses of the carbon monoxide content of venous blood were made on the Van Slyke manometric blood gas apparatus according to the technic of Sendroy and Liu. 2 Gasometric determinations of the oxygen capacity of the blood were also made in order that the percentage of saturation of the blood with carbon monoxide might be calculated. Determinations were carried out in duplicate. Normal individuals who do not use tobacco and who are not