Источник описания
Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica - TF AllenДополнительные факты
Nitrous oxide (gas). Laughing gas. The gas is slightly soluble in water.
Психика и сознание
Became so violent in dentist’s chair, could hardly hold her.
Unusual exaltation of mind, the most agreeable sensations and fancies; had an involuntary desire to laugh (after one hour).
The principal feeling was a total difficulty of restraining my feelings, both corporeal and mental; or, in other words, not having any command over myself. вegged me to give her something to kill her or else make her better. Mental torture beyond endurance. It was a nightmare of the mind, pure and simple, in which no earthly objects took part. He was like вlake, or any other madman you might name, trying in that exquisitely painful moment to solve the insoluble and grasp the illimitable; he was now endeavoring to conceive what lay beyond all space, and now trying to realize the condition of nothing. Then came a spiral winding from an infinite distance into a point, when he exclaimed to himself, I can bear it on longer; I am going mad, and at that instant awoke. Inhaling the gas, I felt as if every nerve was gently agitated with a lively enjoyment. Soon found his nervous system agitated by the highest sensations of pleasure, but which were difficult of description. When the bags were exhausted and taken from him, he suddenly started from his chair, and vociferating with pleasure, made towards those than were present, as he wished they should participate in his feelings. He struck gently at Davy, and a stranger entering the room at the same moment, he made towards him and gave him several blows; but, he adds, it was more in the spirit of good humor than in that of anger. He then ran through different rooms in the house, and at last returned to the laboratory somewhat more composed, although his spirits continued more elevated for some hours after the experiment; he felt, however, no subsequent effects either in the evening or day following. Upon another occasion, he states that his sensation were superior to anything he ever before experienced; his step was firm, and all his muscular power increased. His nerves were more alive to every surrounding impression; he threw himself into several theatrical attitudes, and traversed the laboratory with a quick step, while his mind was elevated to a most sublime height; he says that it is giving by a faint idea of his feelings to say that they resembled those produced by a representation of a heroic scene on the stage, or by reading a sublime passage in poetry, when circumstances contribute to awaken the finest sympathies of the soul. The influence, however, of this inspiring agent appears to have been as transitory as its effects were vivid; for he afterwards observes, I have seldom lately experienced vivid sensations. The pleasure produced by the gas is slight and tranquil, and I rarely feel sublime emotions or increased muscular power. First, there was noticed a pleasant sensation of exhilaration or general stimulation, on which the thoughts ran rapidly through the brain, and soon it appeared to me that I was dreaming; then the head felt full, giddiness supervened, and a humming of buzzing sensation, together with a feeling as though I was gradually being elevated up into the air and passing away. A peculiar tingling sensation in the finer nerves of the extremities was observed, somewhat analogous to that which is felt when experiencing that feeling which is commonly expressed by the term hand or foot being asleep, caused by pressure on the main nerve-trunk of the part, and similar to that I noticed over the whole body when I was suffering from an attack of spotted fever or typhus petechialis. The last impressions were that I was laughing, while at the same time I was flying through the air, and my feet were trembling and going up and down as though pressing upon a treadle that propelled the imaginary machinery that was conveying me through the air, while everything around was fast becoming dim; complete unconsciousness then ensued. The return from this state was sudden, as if arousing from a sound sleep, and the first objects that attracted my attention were the five or six gentlemen who were in the room, violently convulsed with laughter, while I myself was seized with a hearty convulsion of laughter, which I could not in any manner control. It produced the usual pleasurable effects, and slight muscular motion. I continued exhilarated for some minutes afterwards; but in half an hour found myself neither more nor less exhausted than before in experiment. I had a great propensity to sleep. I repeated the experiment four or five times during the following week with similar effects. My susceptibility was certainly not diminished; I even thought that I was more affected than formerly by equal doses. For three minutes I experienced no alternation in my sensations, though immediately after the introduction of the Nitrous oxide, the smell and taste of it were very evident. In four minutes I began to feel a slight glow in the cheeks, and a generally diffused warmth over the chest, though the temperature of the box was not quite 50*. I had neglected to feel my pulse before I went in; at this time it was 104 and hard; the animal heat was 98*. In ten minutes the animal heat was near 99*; in a quarter of an hour, 99.5*, when the pulse was 102, and fuller than before. At this period twenty quarts more of Nitrous oxide were thrown into the box, and well mingled with the mass of air by agitation. In twenty-five minutes the animal heat was 100*, pulse 124. In thirty minutes twenty quarts more of gas were introduced. My sensations were now pleasant; I had a generally diffused warmth, without the slightest moisture of the skin; a sense of exhilaration similar to that produced by a small dose of wine, and a disposition to muscular motion and to merriment. In three-quarters of an hour the pulse was 104, and animal heat not 99.5*; the temperature of the chamber was 64*. The pleasurable feelings continued to increase, the pulse became fuller and slower, till in about an hour it was 88, when the animal heat was 99*. Twenty quarts more of air were admitted. I had now a great disposition to laugh, luminous points seemed frequently to pass before my eyes, my hearing was certainly more acute, and I felt a pleasant lightness and power of exertion in my muscles. In a short time th symptoms became stationary; breathing was rather oppressed, and on account of the great desire of action, rest was painful. I now came out of the box, having been in precisely an hour and a quarter. The moment after, I began to respire twenty quarts of unmingled Nitrous oxide. A thrilling, extending from the chest to the extremities, was almost immediately produced. I felt a sense of tangible extension, highly pleasurable, in every limb; my visible impressions were dazzling and apparently magnified; I heard distinctly every sound in the room, and was perfectly aware of my situation. вy degrees, as the pleasurable sensations increased, I lost all connection with external things; trains of vivid visible images rapidly passed through my mind, and were connected with words in such a manner as to produce perceptions perfectly novel. I excited in a world on newly connected and newly modified ideas. I theorized; I imagined that I made discoveries. When I was awakened from this semi-delirious trance by Doctor Kinglake, who took the bag from my mouth, indignation and pride were the first feeling produced by the sight of the persons about me. My emotions were enthusiastic and sublime, and for a minute I walked round the room perfectly regardless of what was said to me. As I recovered my former state of mind, I felt an inclination to communicated the discoveries I had made during the experiment. I endeavored to recall the ideas; they were feeble and indistinct; on collection of terms, however, p-resented itself, and with the most intense belief and prophetic manner, I exclaimed to Doctor Kinglake, Nothing exists but thoughts. The universe is composed of impressions, ideas, pleasures, and pains. About three minutes and a half only had elapsed during this experiment, though the time, as measured by the relative vividness of the recollected ideas, appeared to me much longer. Not more than half of the Nitrous oxide was consumed. After a minute, before the thrilling of the extremities had disappeared, I breathed the remainder. Similar sensations were again produced; I was quickly thrown into the pleasurable trance, and continued in it longer than before. For many minutes after the experiment, I experienced the thrilling in the extremities; the exhilaration continued nearly two hours. For a much longer time I experienced the mild enjoyment before described connected with indolence; no depression or feebleness followed. I ate my;dinner with great appetite, and found myself lively and disposed to action immediately afterwards. I passed the evening in executing experiments. At night, I found myself unusually cheerful and active, and the hours between 11 and 2 were spent in copying the foregoing detail from the commonplace book, and in arranging the experiments. In bed, I enjoyed profound repose. When I awoke in the morning, it was with consciousness of pleasurable existence, and this consciousness, more or less, continued through the day. A few seconds after the commencement of the inhalation the pulse began to grow firmer and less compressible, and to decrease in frequency, falling from 85 to 75 in the course of the first minute. In less than a minute the breathing became quicker and almost of a blowing character.
He was somewhat exhilarated and stamped with his feet to show the satisfaction he felt. The breathing then assumed a labored, almost stertorous, character, and I attempted to remove the face- piece, but he clutched it firmly and resisted my efforts to do so not long, however, for he soon began to lose consciousness and his hold relaxed. On recovering, which was almost instantaneous after removal of the inhaler, he said he felt as if just aroused form a delicious sleep. The headache, which had troubled me during the afternoon and before going to sleep, was entirely gone, and I felt much invigorated by the effects of the gas). It produced feelings analogous to those of intoxication. He was for some time unconscious of existence, but at no period of the experiment were his sensations agreeable; a momentary nausea followed, but unconnected with languor or headache. In a subsequent trial it would appear that he did experience certain thrilling that were highly pleasurable. Sensations perfectly new and delightful. The dilute gas has almost invariably and exhilarating effect upon me; for the first few seconds the symptoms resemble those caused by the pure gas, but come on more gradually. The breathing is at first affected, and frequently at the end of a minute is of a panting character. At this stage a slight sense of suffocation may be felt, soon passing off, however, not to return again as long as the supply of Nitrous oxide is abundant. The next symptom is a feeling of fullness in the head, and a tendency to fixedness of the eyes; then it soon becomes apparent that general sensibility is affected, the perception of external objects being slower. Next is noticed a sense of increased resistance in the feet, suggesting the idea that they;might act involuntarily in throwing the body forward.
These symptoms become more marked, and develop into unmistakable dizziness, more noticeable, of course, if the inhalant is standing, and then an effort is required to maintain the equilibrium. At this stage, too, are perceived the thrilling and vibratory sensations; the accommodating power of the eye is affected, and objects are seen as through a mist. The senses of smell and hearing become more acute; distant and otherwise faintly heard sounds are judged to be near, and are distinctly heard; if they are of a rhythmical kind, as the sounds of a mason’s hammer, they seem to recur more frequently, and the appreciation of the rhythm is more acute. And now the more strictly mental symptoms come into prominence. Having on one occasion inhaled the gas when I had a rather severe headache, it was at this stage the sense of pain left me, after which it seemed to me there was an interval between the perception that the pain had given and that feeling of satisfaction which always follows sudden relief from suffering, and my mind began to busy itself with definitions of pleasure and pain; but this mood quickly changed to one of extreme self- confidence recklessness as to every other consideration but that of having plenty of Nitrous oxide, and a general feeling of contempt for all metaphysical questions whatever. Ideas rushed in a disordered current through my mind, and delirium set in. It is at the commencement of this stage that the mind loses the power of discriminating between the appropriate and the ridiculous, and is preternaturally susceptible of receiving and being influenced by suggestions from without; and it is on the ideas and actions now initiated that the delicious intoxication turns. The ideas seem, as it were, to expand beyond the recognition the mind, which at this point in its disordered activity also seems to vault over that interval which, in its normal condition, it recognizes to exist between the wish and its realization. Automatic acts succeed each other, or are repeated with great rapidity, and are performed in an exaggerated manner, the subject of the experiment shouting and gesticulating with the greatest vehemence should he wish to communicate any, even the most trivial thing, and often repeating the last word of a sentence many times, and each time in a louder key. I have endeavored to arrest the action of the gas in all stages of its operation, with a view of analyzing, if possible, the state of mind indicated by the confident belief that a great discovery has been made. When it is considered with what avidity the gas is inspired, and that it is necessary that the inhalation should be discontinued at the very moment when the enjoyment it is affording is at its height, and when all sense of prudence and responsibility seems to be annihilated, it will be understood how great are the difficulties in the way of success in such an attempt. On account of the delirium which always accompanies this condition I could never be certain, on recovering from the effects of the gas, that I not had passed through a short stage of unconsciousness, nor that the idea my mind had grasped, as being the last that had passed through it, was indeed the last. In the milder forms of delirium it has seemed to me as though consciousness kept ebbing and flowing. I feel sure, however, that in some instances I have been able to secure the receding thought and to retain it until the momentary confusion of mind had passed off. Two such instances I will describe. On one occasion I wanted to find out how much gas was being consumed in the experiment, and impressed on my mind the exceeding desirableness of learning this. On emerging from the state of delirium I found myself with uplifted hand in the act of striking my knee, to impress upon my memory the fact that I had refilled the inhaling bag; and I fancied that I either had shouted, or was upon the point of doing so, in a triumphant voice, I have filled it again. The act by which I sought to emphasize the important observation was a repetition of a blow I had already given my knee, as there was still some feeling of it left, and I thought that it was due to this that I had so suddenly awaked to perfect consciousness. I found that I really had turned the key to admit;more of the gas into the bag. Had I not came to myself at that moment, I have no doubt that in the next this trivial occurrence would have been magnified beyond recognition, and have left the feeling that I had discovered the secret of the universe. The second time, returning clearness of intellect found me vociferating, in a most triumphant tone of voice, and each time I fancied in a higher key, Off, off, off. In this case the predominant idea, before the commencement of the experiment, had been that I should notice how, and in what time, I passed off into unconsciousness. Again, to show how susceptible to suggestion the mind becomes under the influence of Nitrous oxide, and how it takes up and exaggerates any activity, whether bodily or mental, and how great the tendency is to dwell on and intensify and process of thought or series of automatic acts, I may describe how I was affected by the gas on other occasions. I respired it standing, to notice whether this position would in any way incite to bodily activity. As soon as I felt the influence of the gas stealing over me I commenced gesticulating, and immediately;noticed a strong tendency to repeat the same movements, which, thought at first wholly voluntary, soon became automatic in character, and required an effort to stop them.
Commencing to shuffle about my feet as if dancing, I quickly found myself; going through the steps of a Scotch reel, the only dance I ever properly learned, and which I believed I had forgotten. Each step was made with more alacrity than the one before, until I found it impossible to maintain any degree of accurate adaptation of the inhaler to my face, and then the feelings of exhilaration died away. On almost immediately resuming the inhalation in the sitting posture, however, I passed into the delirious stage in a few seconds. I have found that, by imitating the contortions of face attendant upon crying or laughing, I can at will, at a certain stage in the operation of Nitrous oxide, induce a most uncontrollable paroxysms of either.
The general propensity;to laughter, I have thought, might be attributable, in some measure at least, to the fact that when the inhalation has been continued a certain length of time, convulsive contractions of the diaphragm always occur, which would, of course, initiate one very important movement in the automatic series accompanying laughter. The sense of hurry and tumultuous rushing of ideas through the mind may be exaggerated by, if it is not, in a great degree, due to, the furious panting which is commonly observed before delirium sets in. He found that he could breathe nine quarts of Nitrous oxide for three minutes, and twelve quarts for rather more than four; but that be could never breathe it, in any quantity, so long as five minutes.
Whenever its operation was carried to the highest extent, the pleasurable thrilling, at its height about the middle of the experiment, gradually diminished, the sense of pressure on the muscles was lost, impressions ceased to be perceived, vivid ideas passed rapidly through the mind, and voluntary power was altogether destroyed, so that the mouthpiece generally dropped from his un closed; lips. When he breathed from six to seven quarts, muscular motions were produced to a great extent;;sometimes he manifested his pleasure by stamping or laughing; at other times, by dancing round the room and vociferating. I put myself into the hands of the dentist one morning after my breakfast, and, after inhaling the gas for the average time, soon became insensible; that is, to physical pain; but my mental tortures, during that short period, were beyond endurance. It was a nightmare of the mind, pure and simple, in which no earthly objects took part. I was like вlake, or any other madman you might name, trying in that exquisitely painful moment to solve the insoluble and grasp the illimitable; I was now endeavoring to conceive what lay beyond all space, and now trying to realize the condition of nothing. Then came a spiral winding from an infinite distance into a point, when I exclaimed to myself, I can bear it no longer; I am going mad, and at that instant I awoke. I was perfectly collected, asked if the tooth was out, and declared that I had felt no pain. I rose and was about to leave when, being faint, I again sat down and was placed in a horizontal position. Some brandy was given me, and in about half an hour I revived. I again rose to leave; but on reaching the street-door, I became faint once more, and was obliged to return. In another hour I was assisted home, a few yards, feeling exceedingly ill, and was compelled to lie down again when I reached my study. Presently I thought I could see a patient who was waiting to consult me; but after conversing with him a short time, the faintness again came over me and I took once more to my couch. This state of things continued for four or five hours, and was then succeeded by a severe headache, which lasted for the rest of the day. Next morning I rose very seedy, as if I had just come off a sea-voyage, and for a week afterwards was exceedingly unwell, feeling low and depressed, as if my whole nervous system had received a severe shock, which indeed it had.
It is curious to remark how often, as unconsciousness comes on, the ruling idea is one of noise and motion combined. Some patients think they are seated in or running after an omnibus; but many more imagine themselves in a railway carriage, travelling faster and faster, till they suddenly seem to enter a dark tunnel and then all is a blank to them. Sensual emotions are not unfrequently excited in both sexes. A man, who had been married about three months, stated, on awaking, that he had been dreaming of his wife; and an unmarried hysterical girl certainly gave evidence, by her movements, that she was quite aware of one of the duties of married life; and moreover in this case, the idea was still present when she was able to speak, for she addressed the administrator in terms far fonder than the occasion warranted; while another girl, who had behaved in a similar manner, said, I hope I have;not said anything naughty, . In half a minute the respiration became hurried, and the pulse accelerated. In one minute the pulse had risen from 84 to 110, but was not more compressible than at the commencement. There was twitching of the eyelids, and he said he felt jolly, but lazy, and in a longing mood. At the end of two and a half minutes he felt numbness in the feet, and hot and flushed about the face and ears. At three and a half minutes the pulse was 108, tolerably firm; respiration 40. He now cried, in an excited voice, I have something to explain give me some air. The inhalation was continued altogether seven minutes, when lividity of the face began to set in. Except a little compression of mind, accompanied by flushing of the face, which continued about a quarter of an hour, he felt much as usual. I could not take one full inspiration of this gas without producing giddiness, and I could not count after the sixth inspiration. I took twenty inhalations before losing sensation. I could use my hands and was perfectly conscious, for I endeavored to push away from the outlet-valve Doctor N.’s finger, as he was obstructing the passage of inspired air. I then held my nose, and, after three expirations more, I felt as if all my members were what is commonly called asleep, especially in the right arm, in which the circulation was accidentally impeded. In two more, I could not see, but could hear Doctor N. counting, and was conscious of my respiration being hurried and blowing, but not troubling me. I then lost all sensation, and experienced a most singular feeling of elevation (as if I was in rapid motion in the air). I could not now control my pharyngeal muscles, so that air passed through my nostrils. I recovered almost instantly, but had trouble in talking, my words coming thick and throaty. I have since taken the gas several times, and experienced the same pleasurable sensations, only occurring more rapidly. Two inspirations of the gas (purified) are sufficient to thicken my voice and cause dizziness. After the sixth or eighth, I know nothing. Three inspirations, caused the peculiar feelings in the periphery, which I supposed due to the arrest of capillary circulation. When the tube dropped from my mouth, I sat as in a trance for half a minute, making;no respiratory effort, when all of a sudden I was told that I began to smile and to expire the contents of my lungs at the same instant. I was conscious of smiling, but did not know whether I expired or inspired air after the tube dropped form my hands.
Unusual exaltation of mind, the most agreeable sensations and fancies; had an involuntary desire to laugh (after one hour).
The principal feeling was a total difficulty of restraining my feelings, both corporeal and mental; or, in other words, not having any command over myself. вegged me to give her something to kill her or else make her better. Mental torture beyond endurance. It was a nightmare of the mind, pure and simple, in which no earthly objects took part. He was like вlake, or any other madman you might name, trying in that exquisitely painful moment to solve the insoluble and grasp the illimitable; he was now endeavoring to conceive what lay beyond all space, and now trying to realize the condition of nothing. Then came a spiral winding from an infinite distance into a point, when he exclaimed to himself, I can bear it on longer; I am going mad, and at that instant awoke. Inhaling the gas, I felt as if every nerve was gently agitated with a lively enjoyment. Soon found his nervous system agitated by the highest sensations of pleasure, but which were difficult of description. When the bags were exhausted and taken from him, he suddenly started from his chair, and vociferating with pleasure, made towards those than were present, as he wished they should participate in his feelings. He struck gently at Davy, and a stranger entering the room at the same moment, he made towards him and gave him several blows; but, he adds, it was more in the spirit of good humor than in that of anger. He then ran through different rooms in the house, and at last returned to the laboratory somewhat more composed, although his spirits continued more elevated for some hours after the experiment; he felt, however, no subsequent effects either in the evening or day following. Upon another occasion, he states that his sensation were superior to anything he ever before experienced; his step was firm, and all his muscular power increased. His nerves were more alive to every surrounding impression; he threw himself into several theatrical attitudes, and traversed the laboratory with a quick step, while his mind was elevated to a most sublime height; he says that it is giving by a faint idea of his feelings to say that they resembled those produced by a representation of a heroic scene on the stage, or by reading a sublime passage in poetry, when circumstances contribute to awaken the finest sympathies of the soul. The influence, however, of this inspiring agent appears to have been as transitory as its effects were vivid; for he afterwards observes, I have seldom lately experienced vivid sensations. The pleasure produced by the gas is slight and tranquil, and I rarely feel sublime emotions or increased muscular power. First, there was noticed a pleasant sensation of exhilaration or general stimulation, on which the thoughts ran rapidly through the brain, and soon it appeared to me that I was dreaming; then the head felt full, giddiness supervened, and a humming of buzzing sensation, together with a feeling as though I was gradually being elevated up into the air and passing away. A peculiar tingling sensation in the finer nerves of the extremities was observed, somewhat analogous to that which is felt when experiencing that feeling which is commonly expressed by the term hand or foot being asleep, caused by pressure on the main nerve-trunk of the part, and similar to that I noticed over the whole body when I was suffering from an attack of spotted fever or typhus petechialis. The last impressions were that I was laughing, while at the same time I was flying through the air, and my feet were trembling and going up and down as though pressing upon a treadle that propelled the imaginary machinery that was conveying me through the air, while everything around was fast becoming dim; complete unconsciousness then ensued. The return from this state was sudden, as if arousing from a sound sleep, and the first objects that attracted my attention were the five or six gentlemen who were in the room, violently convulsed with laughter, while I myself was seized with a hearty convulsion of laughter, which I could not in any manner control. It produced the usual pleasurable effects, and slight muscular motion. I continued exhilarated for some minutes afterwards; but in half an hour found myself neither more nor less exhausted than before in experiment. I had a great propensity to sleep. I repeated the experiment four or five times during the following week with similar effects. My susceptibility was certainly not diminished; I even thought that I was more affected than formerly by equal doses. For three minutes I experienced no alternation in my sensations, though immediately after the introduction of the Nitrous oxide, the smell and taste of it were very evident. In four minutes I began to feel a slight glow in the cheeks, and a generally diffused warmth over the chest, though the temperature of the box was not quite 50*. I had neglected to feel my pulse before I went in; at this time it was 104 and hard; the animal heat was 98*. In ten minutes the animal heat was near 99*; in a quarter of an hour, 99.5*, when the pulse was 102, and fuller than before. At this period twenty quarts more of Nitrous oxide were thrown into the box, and well mingled with the mass of air by agitation. In twenty-five minutes the animal heat was 100*, pulse 124. In thirty minutes twenty quarts more of gas were introduced. My sensations were now pleasant; I had a generally diffused warmth, without the slightest moisture of the skin; a sense of exhilaration similar to that produced by a small dose of wine, and a disposition to muscular motion and to merriment. In three-quarters of an hour the pulse was 104, and animal heat not 99.5*; the temperature of the chamber was 64*. The pleasurable feelings continued to increase, the pulse became fuller and slower, till in about an hour it was 88, when the animal heat was 99*. Twenty quarts more of air were admitted. I had now a great disposition to laugh, luminous points seemed frequently to pass before my eyes, my hearing was certainly more acute, and I felt a pleasant lightness and power of exertion in my muscles. In a short time th symptoms became stationary; breathing was rather oppressed, and on account of the great desire of action, rest was painful. I now came out of the box, having been in precisely an hour and a quarter. The moment after, I began to respire twenty quarts of unmingled Nitrous oxide. A thrilling, extending from the chest to the extremities, was almost immediately produced. I felt a sense of tangible extension, highly pleasurable, in every limb; my visible impressions were dazzling and apparently magnified; I heard distinctly every sound in the room, and was perfectly aware of my situation. вy degrees, as the pleasurable sensations increased, I lost all connection with external things; trains of vivid visible images rapidly passed through my mind, and were connected with words in such a manner as to produce perceptions perfectly novel. I excited in a world on newly connected and newly modified ideas. I theorized; I imagined that I made discoveries. When I was awakened from this semi-delirious trance by Doctor Kinglake, who took the bag from my mouth, indignation and pride were the first feeling produced by the sight of the persons about me. My emotions were enthusiastic and sublime, and for a minute I walked round the room perfectly regardless of what was said to me. As I recovered my former state of mind, I felt an inclination to communicated the discoveries I had made during the experiment. I endeavored to recall the ideas; they were feeble and indistinct; on collection of terms, however, p-resented itself, and with the most intense belief and prophetic manner, I exclaimed to Doctor Kinglake, Nothing exists but thoughts. The universe is composed of impressions, ideas, pleasures, and pains. About three minutes and a half only had elapsed during this experiment, though the time, as measured by the relative vividness of the recollected ideas, appeared to me much longer. Not more than half of the Nitrous oxide was consumed. After a minute, before the thrilling of the extremities had disappeared, I breathed the remainder. Similar sensations were again produced; I was quickly thrown into the pleasurable trance, and continued in it longer than before. For many minutes after the experiment, I experienced the thrilling in the extremities; the exhilaration continued nearly two hours. For a much longer time I experienced the mild enjoyment before described connected with indolence; no depression or feebleness followed. I ate my;dinner with great appetite, and found myself lively and disposed to action immediately afterwards. I passed the evening in executing experiments. At night, I found myself unusually cheerful and active, and the hours between 11 and 2 were spent in copying the foregoing detail from the commonplace book, and in arranging the experiments. In bed, I enjoyed profound repose. When I awoke in the morning, it was with consciousness of pleasurable existence, and this consciousness, more or less, continued through the day. A few seconds after the commencement of the inhalation the pulse began to grow firmer and less compressible, and to decrease in frequency, falling from 85 to 75 in the course of the first minute. In less than a minute the breathing became quicker and almost of a blowing character.
He was somewhat exhilarated and stamped with his feet to show the satisfaction he felt. The breathing then assumed a labored, almost stertorous, character, and I attempted to remove the face- piece, but he clutched it firmly and resisted my efforts to do so not long, however, for he soon began to lose consciousness and his hold relaxed. On recovering, which was almost instantaneous after removal of the inhaler, he said he felt as if just aroused form a delicious sleep. The headache, which had troubled me during the afternoon and before going to sleep, was entirely gone, and I felt much invigorated by the effects of the gas). It produced feelings analogous to those of intoxication. He was for some time unconscious of existence, but at no period of the experiment were his sensations agreeable; a momentary nausea followed, but unconnected with languor or headache. In a subsequent trial it would appear that he did experience certain thrilling that were highly pleasurable. Sensations perfectly new and delightful. The dilute gas has almost invariably and exhilarating effect upon me; for the first few seconds the symptoms resemble those caused by the pure gas, but come on more gradually. The breathing is at first affected, and frequently at the end of a minute is of a panting character. At this stage a slight sense of suffocation may be felt, soon passing off, however, not to return again as long as the supply of Nitrous oxide is abundant. The next symptom is a feeling of fullness in the head, and a tendency to fixedness of the eyes; then it soon becomes apparent that general sensibility is affected, the perception of external objects being slower. Next is noticed a sense of increased resistance in the feet, suggesting the idea that they;might act involuntarily in throwing the body forward.
These symptoms become more marked, and develop into unmistakable dizziness, more noticeable, of course, if the inhalant is standing, and then an effort is required to maintain the equilibrium. At this stage, too, are perceived the thrilling and vibratory sensations; the accommodating power of the eye is affected, and objects are seen as through a mist. The senses of smell and hearing become more acute; distant and otherwise faintly heard sounds are judged to be near, and are distinctly heard; if they are of a rhythmical kind, as the sounds of a mason’s hammer, they seem to recur more frequently, and the appreciation of the rhythm is more acute. And now the more strictly mental symptoms come into prominence. Having on one occasion inhaled the gas when I had a rather severe headache, it was at this stage the sense of pain left me, after which it seemed to me there was an interval between the perception that the pain had given and that feeling of satisfaction which always follows sudden relief from suffering, and my mind began to busy itself with definitions of pleasure and pain; but this mood quickly changed to one of extreme self- confidence recklessness as to every other consideration but that of having plenty of Nitrous oxide, and a general feeling of contempt for all metaphysical questions whatever. Ideas rushed in a disordered current through my mind, and delirium set in. It is at the commencement of this stage that the mind loses the power of discriminating between the appropriate and the ridiculous, and is preternaturally susceptible of receiving and being influenced by suggestions from without; and it is on the ideas and actions now initiated that the delicious intoxication turns. The ideas seem, as it were, to expand beyond the recognition the mind, which at this point in its disordered activity also seems to vault over that interval which, in its normal condition, it recognizes to exist between the wish and its realization. Automatic acts succeed each other, or are repeated with great rapidity, and are performed in an exaggerated manner, the subject of the experiment shouting and gesticulating with the greatest vehemence should he wish to communicate any, even the most trivial thing, and often repeating the last word of a sentence many times, and each time in a louder key. I have endeavored to arrest the action of the gas in all stages of its operation, with a view of analyzing, if possible, the state of mind indicated by the confident belief that a great discovery has been made. When it is considered with what avidity the gas is inspired, and that it is necessary that the inhalation should be discontinued at the very moment when the enjoyment it is affording is at its height, and when all sense of prudence and responsibility seems to be annihilated, it will be understood how great are the difficulties in the way of success in such an attempt. On account of the delirium which always accompanies this condition I could never be certain, on recovering from the effects of the gas, that I not had passed through a short stage of unconsciousness, nor that the idea my mind had grasped, as being the last that had passed through it, was indeed the last. In the milder forms of delirium it has seemed to me as though consciousness kept ebbing and flowing. I feel sure, however, that in some instances I have been able to secure the receding thought and to retain it until the momentary confusion of mind had passed off. Two such instances I will describe. On one occasion I wanted to find out how much gas was being consumed in the experiment, and impressed on my mind the exceeding desirableness of learning this. On emerging from the state of delirium I found myself with uplifted hand in the act of striking my knee, to impress upon my memory the fact that I had refilled the inhaling bag; and I fancied that I either had shouted, or was upon the point of doing so, in a triumphant voice, I have filled it again. The act by which I sought to emphasize the important observation was a repetition of a blow I had already given my knee, as there was still some feeling of it left, and I thought that it was due to this that I had so suddenly awaked to perfect consciousness. I found that I really had turned the key to admit;more of the gas into the bag. Had I not came to myself at that moment, I have no doubt that in the next this trivial occurrence would have been magnified beyond recognition, and have left the feeling that I had discovered the secret of the universe. The second time, returning clearness of intellect found me vociferating, in a most triumphant tone of voice, and each time I fancied in a higher key, Off, off, off. In this case the predominant idea, before the commencement of the experiment, had been that I should notice how, and in what time, I passed off into unconsciousness. Again, to show how susceptible to suggestion the mind becomes under the influence of Nitrous oxide, and how it takes up and exaggerates any activity, whether bodily or mental, and how great the tendency is to dwell on and intensify and process of thought or series of automatic acts, I may describe how I was affected by the gas on other occasions. I respired it standing, to notice whether this position would in any way incite to bodily activity. As soon as I felt the influence of the gas stealing over me I commenced gesticulating, and immediately;noticed a strong tendency to repeat the same movements, which, thought at first wholly voluntary, soon became automatic in character, and required an effort to stop them.
Commencing to shuffle about my feet as if dancing, I quickly found myself; going through the steps of a Scotch reel, the only dance I ever properly learned, and which I believed I had forgotten. Each step was made with more alacrity than the one before, until I found it impossible to maintain any degree of accurate adaptation of the inhaler to my face, and then the feelings of exhilaration died away. On almost immediately resuming the inhalation in the sitting posture, however, I passed into the delirious stage in a few seconds. I have found that, by imitating the contortions of face attendant upon crying or laughing, I can at will, at a certain stage in the operation of Nitrous oxide, induce a most uncontrollable paroxysms of either.
The general propensity;to laughter, I have thought, might be attributable, in some measure at least, to the fact that when the inhalation has been continued a certain length of time, convulsive contractions of the diaphragm always occur, which would, of course, initiate one very important movement in the automatic series accompanying laughter. The sense of hurry and tumultuous rushing of ideas through the mind may be exaggerated by, if it is not, in a great degree, due to, the furious panting which is commonly observed before delirium sets in. He found that he could breathe nine quarts of Nitrous oxide for three minutes, and twelve quarts for rather more than four; but that be could never breathe it, in any quantity, so long as five minutes.
Whenever its operation was carried to the highest extent, the pleasurable thrilling, at its height about the middle of the experiment, gradually diminished, the sense of pressure on the muscles was lost, impressions ceased to be perceived, vivid ideas passed rapidly through the mind, and voluntary power was altogether destroyed, so that the mouthpiece generally dropped from his un closed; lips. When he breathed from six to seven quarts, muscular motions were produced to a great extent;;sometimes he manifested his pleasure by stamping or laughing; at other times, by dancing round the room and vociferating. I put myself into the hands of the dentist one morning after my breakfast, and, after inhaling the gas for the average time, soon became insensible; that is, to physical pain; but my mental tortures, during that short period, were beyond endurance. It was a nightmare of the mind, pure and simple, in which no earthly objects took part. I was like вlake, or any other madman you might name, trying in that exquisitely painful moment to solve the insoluble and grasp the illimitable; I was now endeavoring to conceive what lay beyond all space, and now trying to realize the condition of nothing. Then came a spiral winding from an infinite distance into a point, when I exclaimed to myself, I can bear it no longer; I am going mad, and at that instant I awoke. I was perfectly collected, asked if the tooth was out, and declared that I had felt no pain. I rose and was about to leave when, being faint, I again sat down and was placed in a horizontal position. Some brandy was given me, and in about half an hour I revived. I again rose to leave; but on reaching the street-door, I became faint once more, and was obliged to return. In another hour I was assisted home, a few yards, feeling exceedingly ill, and was compelled to lie down again when I reached my study. Presently I thought I could see a patient who was waiting to consult me; but after conversing with him a short time, the faintness again came over me and I took once more to my couch. This state of things continued for four or five hours, and was then succeeded by a severe headache, which lasted for the rest of the day. Next morning I rose very seedy, as if I had just come off a sea-voyage, and for a week afterwards was exceedingly unwell, feeling low and depressed, as if my whole nervous system had received a severe shock, which indeed it had.
It is curious to remark how often, as unconsciousness comes on, the ruling idea is one of noise and motion combined. Some patients think they are seated in or running after an omnibus; but many more imagine themselves in a railway carriage, travelling faster and faster, till they suddenly seem to enter a dark tunnel and then all is a blank to them. Sensual emotions are not unfrequently excited in both sexes. A man, who had been married about three months, stated, on awaking, that he had been dreaming of his wife; and an unmarried hysterical girl certainly gave evidence, by her movements, that she was quite aware of one of the duties of married life; and moreover in this case, the idea was still present when she was able to speak, for she addressed the administrator in terms far fonder than the occasion warranted; while another girl, who had behaved in a similar manner, said, I hope I have;not said anything naughty, . In half a minute the respiration became hurried, and the pulse accelerated. In one minute the pulse had risen from 84 to 110, but was not more compressible than at the commencement. There was twitching of the eyelids, and he said he felt jolly, but lazy, and in a longing mood. At the end of two and a half minutes he felt numbness in the feet, and hot and flushed about the face and ears. At three and a half minutes the pulse was 108, tolerably firm; respiration 40. He now cried, in an excited voice, I have something to explain give me some air. The inhalation was continued altogether seven minutes, when lividity of the face began to set in. Except a little compression of mind, accompanied by flushing of the face, which continued about a quarter of an hour, he felt much as usual. I could not take one full inspiration of this gas without producing giddiness, and I could not count after the sixth inspiration. I took twenty inhalations before losing sensation. I could use my hands and was perfectly conscious, for I endeavored to push away from the outlet-valve Doctor N.’s finger, as he was obstructing the passage of inspired air. I then held my nose, and, after three expirations more, I felt as if all my members were what is commonly called asleep, especially in the right arm, in which the circulation was accidentally impeded. In two more, I could not see, but could hear Doctor N. counting, and was conscious of my respiration being hurried and blowing, but not troubling me. I then lost all sensation, and experienced a most singular feeling of elevation (as if I was in rapid motion in the air). I could not now control my pharyngeal muscles, so that air passed through my nostrils. I recovered almost instantly, but had trouble in talking, my words coming thick and throaty. I have since taken the gas several times, and experienced the same pleasurable sensations, only occurring more rapidly. Two inspirations of the gas (purified) are sufficient to thicken my voice and cause dizziness. After the sixth or eighth, I know nothing. Three inspirations, caused the peculiar feelings in the periphery, which I supposed due to the arrest of capillary circulation. When the tube dropped from my mouth, I sat as in a trance for half a minute, making;no respiratory effort, when all of a sudden I was told that I began to smile and to expire the contents of my lungs at the same instant. I was conscious of smiling, but did not know whether I expired or inspired air after the tube dropped form my hands.