120 REPORT — 1864. 



the frothy mucus measured, as before, about -^-fj", and displayed, moreover, 

 rudimentary traces of male reproductive organs. 



Report on the Physiological Action of Nitrite of Amyl. 

 By Benjamin W. Richardson, M.A.,M.D. 



The Eeport which I have the honour to lay before the Physiological Section 

 springs out of a short paper read at the Newcastle Meeting last year, entitled 

 " On the Physiological Action of the Nitrite of Amyl." In that paper I 

 stated a few preliminary facts, to one or two of which I would again briefly 

 direct attention, in order that the present audience may be enabled to follow 

 the subject, connectively, from its commencement. 



The nitrite of amyl is a fluid of amber colour, and having a flavoiu- and 

 odour of over-ripe pears. It approaches, in fact, in matter of flavour the 

 acetate of oxide of amyl, the substance commonly sold under the name of 

 essence of pears. The composition of the nitrite is 0,^11^; NOg+HO. It 

 is made by the action of nitrous acid gas on fusel oil — amylic alcohol. The 

 fluid, when pure, has a specific gravity of 913, and it boils at lS2'^rahr. It 

 is soluble in equal parts of chloroform, pure alcohol, and ether. 



Diffused through the air in a chamber or jar, the vapour of nitrite of 

 amyl extinguishes flame unless it be largely diluted with air, or unless the 

 flame be introduced slowly. Under the latter circumstances the vapour ex- 

 plodes in a sharp puff". 



Placed so as to diffiise through a closed bottle or jar with phosphorus, it 

 prevents the oxidation of the phosphorus. 



Placed in a closed jar with animal or vegetable substances, it acts like am- 

 monia, ether, chloroform, and alcohol in preventing decomposition. As an 

 antiseptic it is equal to ammonia, but is less active in this respect than chlo- 

 roform, ether, and alcohol. It also is objectionable in that it destroys the 

 colour of both vegetable and ainmal structures, turning the vegetable reds 

 brown, and giving to the muscular tissues of animals, fii'st a pale white, and 

 afterwards a dirty brown appearance. 



Physical Effect on Dead Organic Matters. 



I have made a large number of experiments to determine the antiseptic 

 power of the nitrite, of which I may give a few illustrations. 



Observations. — Series 1. Pive minims of nitrite of amyl were placed in a 

 glass jar capable of receiving 40 cubic inches of common air. A rose with 

 leaves attached to the stalk was next placed in the jar, and the stopper was 

 inserted. In a few minutes the green coloiu- of the rose was turned of a 

 dirty brown, and the red colour, moving at first to violet, lapsed also after a 

 time into brown. After the colour was in this way destroyed no further 

 change followed, and the flower remained in the jar for nine months without 

 undergoing the slightest decomposition. This experiment was repeated with 

 mignonette, calceolarias, leaves of camellias, and other plants ; the results 

 were the same. 



Observations. — Series 2. The %-iscera of animals and portions of the mus- 

 cular structiu'e were placed in jars capable of receiving 100 cubic inches of 

 air. Into each jar was then poured half a drachm of the nitrite of amyl, 

 and the jar was closed. The efltct in every case was to change the animal 



