Nitrous oxide

“ If so, perhaps I owe my life to the circumstance; for supposing I had taken an inspiration of nitrous gas, and even that it had produced no positive effects, it is highly improbable, that by breathing nitrous oxide, I should have freed my lungs from it, so as to have prevented the formation of nitrous acid when I again inspired common air. I never design again to attempt so rash an experiment. ”

“ The lungs were here and there, marked with a few points; but there were no large purple spots, as in animals that have been wholly destroyed in nitrous oxide: the right side of the heart only contracted. In this experiment, the excitement from the action of the gas was probably carried to such an extent, as to produce indirect debility. There are reasons for supposing, that animals after having been excited to but a small extent by the respiration of nitrous oxide, will live under water for a greater length of time, than animals previously made to breathe common air. ”

“ In a rough experiment made on the conversion of nitrous gas into nitrous oxide, by concentrated solution of sulphite of potash with excess of alkali, very little of the nitrous oxide was absorbed. Hence it is probable that water lessens the affinity of potash for nascent nitrous oxide. ”

“ Nitrous oxide is incapable of remaining in combination with this fluid at the temperature of ebullition; it is liberated from it unaltered by heat.
Impregnated alcohol, during its combination with water, gives out the greater part of its combined nitrous oxide: on mingling the two fluids together, at the point of contact the alcohol becomes covered with an infinite number of small globules of gas, which continue to be generated [Pg 243] during the whole of the combination, and in passing through the fluid render it almost opaque. ”

“ When they are obtained pure, and fully saturated with nitrous oxide, on account of the low temperature at which their gas is liberated, they will probably constitute detonating compounds. From their facility of decomposition by the weaker acids, they may possibly be used medicinally, if ever the evolution of nitrous oxide in the stomach should be found beneficial in diseases. ”

“ The power of iron to decompose water being much increased by increase of temperature, nitrous gas is converted into nitrous oxide much more rapidly when placed in contact with a surface of heated iron, [Pg 211] than when exposed to it at common temperatures. During the decomposition of nitrous gas in this way, ammoniac [140] is formed. ”

“ When nitric acid of specific gravity 1.24, is made to act upon tin; in the beginning of the process, nearly equal parts of nitrous gas and nitrous oxide are produced; as it advances, the proportion of nitrous oxide to the nitrous gas increases: the largest quantity of nitrous oxide that I have found in the gas procured from tin is 3⁄4, the remainder being nitrous gas and nitrogene. ”

“ Concentrated solution of muriate of tin absorbs about one eighth of nitrous oxide; more dilute solutions absorb larger quantities.
From these observations we learn, that neutro-saline solutions in general, have very feeble attractions for nitrous oxide; and as solutions of green muriate, and sulphate of iron, whether free from nitrous gas, or impregnated with it, possess no action upon nitrous oxide, nitrous gas may be separated from this substance by those solutions with greater facility than nitrous oxide can be separated from nitrous gas, by water or alcohol. ”

“ There are no reasons for supposing that nitrous oxide is formed in any of the processes of nature; and the nice equilibrium of affinity by which it is constituted, forbids us to hope for the power of composing it from its simple principles. ”

“ It is probable, that all the bodies having strong affinity for oxygene will, at certain temperatures, convert nitrous gas into nitrous oxide. Priestley, and the Dutch chemists, effected the change by heated sulphur. Perhaps nitrous gas sent through a tube heated, but not ignited, with phosphorus, would be converted into nitrous oxide. ”

“ As the nascent nitrogene, in the decomposition of nitrate of ammoniac, combines with a portion of oxygene and nitrogene, to form nitrous oxide; it is probable that nitrous oxide may be produced during the passage of nitrous gas and ammoniac through a heated tube. ”

“ The double flame depends upon the nitrous acid formed by the ignition; for it can be produced by plunging the taper into common air containing nitrous acid vapor, or into a mixture of nitrous oxide and nitrogene, through which nitrous acid has been diffused. It is never perceived in the combustion of the taper, till much nitrous acid is formed. ”

“ When nitric acid is combined with muriatic acid, or sulphuric acid, [144] the quantities of nitrous oxide produced from its decomposition by tin, zinc, and iron, are rather increased than diminished. The nitrous oxide obtained from these solutions is, however, never sufficiently pure for physiological experiments. It is always mingled with either nitrous gas, nitrogene, or hydrogene, and sometimes with all of them. ”

“ From the following experiment it appears that the temperature required for the decomposition of nitrous oxide by hydrogene must be higher than that which is necessary to produce the inflammation of hydrogene with oxygene. I introduced into small tubes filled with equal parts of nitrous oxide and hydrogene, standing on a surface of mercury, iron wires ignited to different degrees, from the dull red to the vivid white heat. The gases were always inflamed by the white and vivid red heats ”

“ Nitrous oxide and ether, especially nitrous oxide, when sufficiently diluted with air, stimulate the mystical consciousness in an extraordinary degree. Depth beyond depth of truth seems revealed to the inhaler. This truth fades out, however, or escapes, at the moment of coming to; and if any words remain over in which it seemed to clothe itself, they prove to be the veriest nonsense. Nevertheless, the sense of a profound meaning having been there persists; and I know more than one person who is persuaded that in the nitrous oxide trance we have a genuine metaphysical revelation. ”

“ All the solid and fluid compound inflammable bodies on which I have experimented, burn in nitrous oxide, at high temperatures. Wood, cotton, and paper, are easily inflamed in it by the burning glass. During their combustion, nitrous acid is always formed, carbonic acid, and water produced, and nitrogene evolved, rather less in bulk than the nitrous oxide decomposed.
I have already mentioned that alcohol and ether are soluble in nitrous oxide. When an ignited body is introduced into the solution of alcohol, [Pg 322] or ether in nitrous oxide, a slight explosion takes place. ”

“ When nitrous oxide in a free state is exposed to the solid caustic alkalies and alkaline earths, at common temperatures, it is neither absorbed nor acted upon; when it is placed in contact with solutions of them in water, a small quantity is dissolved; but this combination appears to depend on the water of the solution, for the gas can be expelled unaltered, at the temperature of ebullition. ”

“ The analysis of nitrous gas by charcoal, as affording data for determining immediately the quantities of oxygene and nitrogene, ought to be considered as most accurate; and correcting it by mean calculations derived from the decomposition of nitrous gas by pyrophorus and hydrogene, and its conversion into nitrous oxide, a process to be described hereafter, we may conclude, that 100 grains of nitrous gas are composed of 55,95 oxygene, and 44,05 nitrogene ”

“ Modification of the powers of nitrous oxide by mixture of the gas with oxygene or common air, will probably enable the most delicately sensible to respire it without danger, and even with pleasurable effects: heretofore it has been administered to such only in its pure form or mingled with small quantities of atmospheric air, and in its pure form even the most robust are unable to respire it with safety for more than five minutes. ”

“ When 36 of nitrous gas were added to these, white fumes appeared and the whole diminished to 62. When a little muriatic acid was poured on the white precipitate from the solution of strontian, gas was evolved from it, and it was gradually dissolved.
E. 2. 22 nitrous oxide were inflamed with 20 hydrocarbonate; after the explosion, they filled a space equal to 45; when strontian lime water was introduced, white precipitation took place, and the diminution was to 31. ”

“ I had never heard of the effects of the nitrous oxide, when I breathed six quarts of it. I felt a delicious tremor of nerve, which was rapidly propagated over the whole nervous system. As the action of inhaling proceeds, an irresistible appetite to repeat it is excited. There is now a general swell of sensations, vivid, strong, and inconceivably pleasurable. They still become more vigorous and glowing till they are communicated to the brain, when an ardent flush overspreads the face. At this moment the tube inserted in the air-bag was taken from my mouth, or I must have fainted in extacy. ”

“ From these experiments it is evident that nitrous oxide in the aëriform state cannot be combined either with the alkalies, or the alkaline earths. That a combination may be effected between nitrous oxide and these substances, it must be presented to them, in the nascent state. ”

“ Though alcohol, ether, essential oils, and the fluid inflammable [Pg 254] bodies in general, dissolve nitrous oxide with much greater rapidity than water, yet as we are not perfectly acquainted with their action on unabsorbable gases, it is better to employ water for separating nitrous oxide from these substances; particularly as that fluid is more or less combined with all gases, and as we are acquainted with the extent of its action upon them. ”

“ Supposing the increase or diminution of living action when produced by different agents, uniform, similar and differing only in degree; it would follow, that certain mixtures of hydrocarbonate and nitrous oxide, or hydrogene and nitrous oxide, ought to be capable of supporting the life of animals for a much longer time than pure nitrous oxide. ”

“ Having thus ascertained the absorption of nitrous oxide in respiration, and the evolution of nitrogene and carbonic acid from the lungs during its absorption: considering atmospheric air as a compound in which principles identical with those in nitrous oxide existed, though in different quantities and looser combination, I was anxious to compare the changes effected in this gas by respiration, with those produced in nitrous oxide and oxygene; particularly as they are connected with the health and life of animals. ”

“ Thinking it possible that nitrous gas and nitrogene might be made to combine by the action of the electric spark, so as to form nitrous oxide, I introduced 20 grain measures of each of them into a small detonating tube, graduated to grains, standing over mercury, and containing a very small quantity of cabbage juice rendered green by an alkali. ”

“ In the respiration of nitrous oxide as the gas is absorbed and not decomposed, little will be gained in effect, by perpetually inspiring and expiring new portions, whilst an immense quantity of gas will be idly wasted, and this circumstance, considering the expence of the substance, is of importance. ”