222 Scientific Labors and Character of 



since inspired the greatest respect for his authority in regard to the 

 composition of the bodies which he examined. Chemical analysis 

 is a very difficult art, and few chemists ever attain to any high de- 

 gree of excellence in it. A familiar knowledge of the peculiar prop- 

 erties of all bodies — a discriminating eye to detect an individual con- 

 stituent of a compound, as soon as it discovers itself by any of its 

 properties, either physical or chemical — great ingenuity and address 

 in conducting delicate manipulations — a sound judgment to draw the 

 proper conclusion, as the principles of the compound are successively 

 developed — great accuracy in estimating the respective quantities of 

 the constituent elements — and unwearied perseverance in conducting 

 tedious processes, which often last for several days or even weeks : 

 these are some of the qualifications that unite to form such accom- 

 plished analysts as Klaproth, Vauquelin, and Berzelius. 



But the most remarkable portion of this volume of Researches, is 

 that which relates to the properties of nitrous oxide. So fully were 

 these properties disclosed, that time has added scarcely any thing to 

 their number ; and few examples can be found of more thorough and 

 successful experimental investigations, than were exhibited in tliese 

 researches into the nature of a substance, at that time just introduced 

 to the notice of the chemical world. But the merit of these analyt- 

 ical researches has been almost overlooked, in the astonishment that 

 followed the discovery of the effects of nitrous oxide in respiration. 

 So sudden and transforming, and sometimes indeed so appalling, are 

 the effects produced by inhaling the " exhilirating gas," that even 

 now, one can hardly encounter them without some slight emotions of 

 fear. How undaunted tlien must have been the spirit, that first em- 

 barked on this unknown sea ! How few but would have recognised 

 in the symptoms that attended the first inspirations, " the giddiness 

 and fulness of the head," accompanied with " a loss of distinct sen- 

 sation and voluntary power," as admonitions that they were entering 

 a region of death ! To plunge forward into the unknown abyss, re- 

 vealed a spirit cased in more folds of brass than his, who first braved 

 the open sea.* 



It is not the least remarkable among the circumstances of this ex- 

 ploit, that it was performed in the face of an hypotliesis which had 



'^ Illi robur et ajs triplex 



Circa pectus erat, qui fragilem truci 

 Commisit pelago rateiu 

 Primus. 



