22(5 RESPIRATION OF NITROUS OXIDE. 



Other trials. I have lately prepared and breathed the gas at different 



times, and the effects were always pleafurable. One circum- 



ftance I wifli to notice. A pain in the right fide of my face 



and head, which for fome weeks had been very troublefome, 



was certainly at firfl increafed, after breathing four quarts of 



Pain in the face the gas. The pain, however, gradually leffened, and in about 

 mitigated and ° r 1 ■ i_ j » c •*. -it. 



femored. an nour was q ui te gone, nor had I any return of it either 



during the remainder of the day or following night. From 



this I began to fufpect that the gas had been inftrumental in 



fome manner in removing the pain. Some fymptoms of its 



return during the following day induced me to give this new 



agent a further trial. With this view I prepared fix quarts 



of the gas, and an hour before my bed-time I breathed it. I 



was foon wholly under its influence — totally loft to all fenfible 



Striking pheno- objects — all was viiionary. I fancied a number of people in the 



ranfied°percep- roora 5 imagined mufical founds ; and the apartment appeared 



tions. Numbers illuminated with varied coloured lights. A friend who was 



of people--mu- with me fai^ j remained in this ftate a full minute after 



fical founds— ... . 



Illumination of dropping the breathing-bag. My nrft enquiries were wild 

 coloured light. an j incoherent ; but I gradually recovered my ufual temper 

 of feeling, flept well during the night, and awoke free from, 

 pain in the face. I have felt very little of it ever fince. 

 Whether the nitrous oxide was the removing caufe or not, I 

 fliall not take upon me to determine. I ufed no other means ; 

 nor do I know whether any other perfon has breathed the gas 

 under fimilar circumftances. A better acquaintance with this 

 molt extraordinary agent would probably lead to important 

 and ufeful difcoveries. 

 Gas breathed at Since writing the aboye, I have again breathed the nitrous 

 the Royal Infti- oxide in a very pure ftate at the Royal Inftitution, and was 

 . as ufual loft in pleafure. On recovering, I fignified a wifh to 

 know the ftate of my pulfe, and was told it was above 140. 

 This was on Saturday the 13th, about three o'clock. I con- 

 tinued under the ftrong influence of the gas as to mufcular 

 action, &c. during the remainder of the day; but awoke 

 Ufual effects, early next morning with feelings very different to thofe I had 

 Alarming confe- formerly experienced. I felt a tremor, foon became faint, 

 day. and this faintnefs increafed fo much, that for a fhort fpace of 



time I was as if finking into nothing. I was certainly under 

 confiderable alarm. A mouthful of water recovered me from 

 the apprehenfions of fainting. For fome hours afterwards I 



remaned, 



