188 



Dr. Buchanan on //<<• Effects of ike Inhalation of Ether. 



ether spurted out through the narrow tube of E. To remedy this defect, 

 the narrow tube was made shut at the top and with two apertures at the 

 sides, and a round eapital made to fit upon it at the level of these aper- 

 tures, bo that any liquid poured into the capital or projected upwards, 

 might flow down thence into the vessel below. Mr. Young constructed 

 for me an apparatus so improved, which is shown in fig. 2. It has been 



found to answer the purposes in view exceedingly well, inducing narcotism 

 with great rapidity. It might probably, however, be still further improved, 

 by enlarging the chamber containing the ethereal vapour ; for, at the time 

 it was made, I was not fully aware of the importance of having the chamber 

 of large size. I would now prefer to it an instrument constructed in the 

 following way, as seen in fig. 3 : — 



The vessel W is much the same as in fig. 2 ; but the vessel E has 

 been converted into a mere valve, regulating the admission of air to the 

 chamber C, which is a globular glass vessel of the capacity of a cubic 

 foot, having a wide mouth, to which a wooden cover is accurately fitted, 

 and on that the other pieces of the apparatus rest. E consists of a glass 

 vessel, having a wide funnel-shaped mouth, a narrow neck by which it is 

 attached to the wooden cover, and two openings below by which it com- 

 municates with the chamber C. To the neck of it there is fitted by 

 grinding a tube, an inch in diameter, shut at the top, but having two 

 lateral openings, through which the ether poured in at the wide mouth 

 descends to the bottom of E, where there should be as much of it as to 

 rise a little above the level of the lower orifice of the tube. Another tube 

 h conveys the ethereal vapour and air out from the chamber. It has 

 bed to it an expanded linen cloth, </, placed obliquely, and serving 

 to receive any drops of ether which may descend from above: and before 

 ing the inhalation a slight excess of ether should lie poured into 



