Having never heard any thing of the mode of operation of nitrous oxide,
I breathed gas in a silk bag for some time, and found no effects, but
oppression of respiration. Afterwards Mr. Davy told me that I had been
breathing atmospheric air.
In a second experiment made without knowing what gas was in the bag,
I had not breathed half a minute, when from the extreme pleasure I
felt, I unconciously removed the bag from my mouth; but when Mr. Davy
offered to take it from me, I refused to let him have it, and said
eagerly, “let me breathe it again, it is highly pleasant! it is the
strongest stimulant I ever felt!“ I was cold when I began to respire,
but had immediately a pleasant glow extending to my toes and fingers. I
experienced from the air a pleasant taste which I can only call sweetly
astringent; it continued for some time: the sense of exhilaration was
lasting. This air Mr. Davy told me was nitrous oxide.
In another experiment, when I breathed a small dose of nitrous oxide,
the effects were slight, and sometime afterwards I felt an unusual
yawning and languor.
The last time that I breathed the gas, the feelings were the most
pleasurable I ever experienced; my head appeared light, there was a
great warmth in the back and a general unusual glow; the taste was
distinguishable for some time as in the former experiment. My ideas
were more vivid, and followed the natural order of association. I could
not refrain from muscular action.
STEPHEN HAMMICK, Junr.
_Sept. 15th._