RKSP/RATION OF CASEOUS' OXI0B OP AZOTE. 15 



credit of the fuccefsful exhibition, and upon my refponfibility, 

 to ufe (he gas, tlie refall (hould determine as to its employ- 

 ment in the cafe firft in queftion. At the fame time, I ftated 

 from the average courfe-of paralytic attacks in general not 

 immediately fatal, (hat a little apparent amendment would 

 take place, and the firoke return with additional violence. 

 My propofal was acknowledged to be highly reafonable ; but 

 that plan of routine trealment was followed which is fo much 

 more advantageous lo the idle and unfcientific of our pro- 

 feflion than il is lo tiie fick, and the patient died of a return 

 ^f his complaint. Such is probably the condition of thoufands 

 of the difeafed at this moment ! Rather than ufe a recently 

 propofed plan not in the Pharmacopa'ia, or feek a new one 

 in analogy, we perfevere in painful or difgufting means, from 

 which, on the faith of long experrence, no good of any fort 

 can be expected for the fufferer. May the rifing generation 

 of natural philofophers exercife their talents and their bene- 

 volence in putting an end to fo crying an evil I 

 I am. Dear Sir, 



Refpedfuily your's, 



THOMAS BEDDOKS. 

 Clifton, Dec. 13, 1605. 



. P. S. A cafe in your Journal, where a gentleman accuftomed On efFefts of 



to breathe gafeous oxide for amufement, experienced very dif- S^f. o;?-. as ftate4 

 ., ..'',. . , ' V / , in this Journal. 



agreeable jeehngs on one particular occalion, leeras to me clearly 



leferable to hyfteria. Now the trials at the Pneumatic Infti- 

 lution, as related in Mr. Davy's Jiefearches, had clearly (hewn 

 that in the predifpofed, gafeous oxide is a fpecific for exciting 

 an hyfieric paroxyfm. Perhaps in the individual whole cafe 

 is related by himfelf in (he Journal, no obvious predifpofition, 

 cither temporary or permanent, exifted : Nothing to this pur- 

 port is flated. But that the at!e6tion was fimply by fterical Their real na- 

 cannot I think be doubted by any one converfant both with ^^^^' 

 hyfteria and the adminiHration of gafeous oxide. It feems to 

 be firongly marked by that idea of immediate danger, which 

 is fo common in hyfteria. Dr. Garnet very unneceflTarily, 

 and, I believe, very miftakenly, called up the whole Bruno- 

 nian theory on the emergency. It led him, however, (ogive 

 cordials; and they were proper. A tca-lpoonj'ul of fa! volatile, 



from 



