When we started to write our thoughts down regarding mind and loss of mind, we believed the following Table and reproduced it.
Incorrect facts lead to incorrect conclusions …..and this well known Table has no author or reference…..Hmmmm…..strange……
Now we know that in Paula’s case, even with normal lungs, it is incorrect. Paula has a RR of 3 breaths per minute at rest , awake with active exhaling, but her tidal volume is NOT 3.0 L as this Table suggests; Paula’s tidal volume is pretty good .5 L . and her tidal volume is NOT big enough to make up for her respiratory depression [no yoga, no drugs].
Table 43.1 The Effect of Changes of Respiratory Rate and Tidal Volume on Alveolar Ventilation
| Minute ventilation (L) | Respiratory rate | Tidal volume (L) | Dead spacea (L/min) | Alveolar ventilation (L/min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | 60 | 0.1 | 6.0 | 0 |
| 6.0 | 30 | 0.2 | 4.5 | 1.5 |
| 6.0 | 15 | 0.4 | 2.25 | 3.75 |
| 6.0 | 2 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 5.7 |
A dead space of 150 ml/breath is assumed.
From: Chapter 43, Respiratory Rate and PatternClinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. 3rd edition.Walker HK, Hall WD, Hurst JW, editors.Boston: Butterworths; 1990.Copyright © 1990, Butterworth Publishers, a division of Reed Publishing. NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
And this is the reason why Paula’s doctors were so horrified to learn of her RR of only 3 breaths per minute. This is why they expected her to drop dead in front of their eyes. If they had only explained this to us we would have understood their reaction and we would have been able to explain that this was a mutation with protective properties against death, but not so much against depressive insanity or quiet delirium, and even these attacks are reversible and do not permanently damage the brain.
Of Sound Mind 