Strange Efft^s qflki Ca/eoiu Oxide of Azote. 45< 



been occafionally obferved, had the flighteft conneflion with the fymptomS of apoplexy, 

 or palfy, he fuppofed that either thefe patients, or fome other perfon, would have been 

 injured bv the inlialation. He has nov*r taken it daily for fome time, in a manner that 

 will be hereafter defcribed. The fi'rll fenfations had nothing unpleafant ; the fucceeding 

 have been agreeable beyond his conception or belief, eveiL after the rapturous defciip- 

 tions he had heard, and the eagernefs to repeat the inhalation which he had fo oftcii 

 witnefTed. He feems to himfelt, at the time, (for why fhould one fear to life ludicro«« 

 terms when they are exprelTive ?) to be bathed all over with a bucket full of good 

 humour ; and a placid feeling pervades his whole frame. The heat of the cheft is much' 

 greater from a fmall dofe than he ever felt from the largeft quantity of oxy'geri. A 

 conflant fine glow, which afFeSs the flomach, ied him one day to take an inconvenient 

 portion of food, and to try the air atierwanls. It very foon removed the fenfe of dif-* 

 tendon, and, he fuppofes, expedited digeftion. He has never tried to bring on the high 

 orgafin.; but has generally felt more alacrity at the moment — not ene languid, low, 

 erapulary feeling afterwards. It occurred to him that under a certain adminiftration of 

 this gas, fleep might pofhbly be difpenfed with ; he is fare that from leCs fleep he derives 

 more refrefhment than for many years part. And his morning alertnefs equals tl»t of a 

 healthy boy. 



." During the print^mg of this paper, the autlior took a large dofe before an excellent 

 judge of the phenomena of intoxication, who oa obferving him attentively for fome 

 time, exclaimed, " why your eyes twinkle as if you were drunk. You are certainly 

 drunk. Thtfobfervation was accurate. Imoxicatioh, as indicated by unfteadinefs and 

 Hammering at the time, and a random feeling for fome hours after, was produced. It 

 fubfidcd into fimple high fpirits, and no langour followed. Till he took this air, going 

 to a play always brought ori a hcad>«ich next morning. Now he rifes jufl as frefti as on 

 other occaflons. 



"' Upon the whole, he believes that the Pneumatic Inftitution might advance a fair' 

 claim to the premium, anciently propefed for the difcovery of a new pleafure; and he 

 ventures to fay that the firft flight tmplcafant fenfations may be obviated by due manage- 

 irient, and the gas exhibited withfafety even to hyfteric'al femafcs." 



After thefe accounts tlie Author proceeds to relate the cafe of a young lady fubj eft 

 to hyfteric fits, and a little to cramps, who, on the fuggeftion of a friend, tried the 

 gaa without any previous mention of her nervous affcftions. She was immediately 

 thrown into a fucccflion of hyfterical fits of confiderable violence and of above an 

 hours duration, which returned at the fame time the following evening, but g'avc way 

 to the fwbfequent exliibition of opium and the bark in large dofes. After about a week' 

 ihc declined medicine and the fits returned with increafed violence. Laughing, crying, 

 JVarting, painful acutonefs, and dulnefs of heking, inorditiate mbiion of almoft every 



nSulcIe, 



