RESEARCHES, CHEMICAL and PHILOSOPHICAL; CHIEFLY CONCERNING NITROUS OXIDE,
Reading edition
OR DEPHLOGISTICATED NITROUS AIR,
AND ITS RESPIRATION.
By HUMPHRY DAVY,
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE MEDICAL PNEUMATIC INSTITUTION.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, ST. PAUL’S CHURCH-YARD, BY BIGGS AND COTTLE, BRISTOL, 1800.
CONTENTS.
Introduction, xi.
RESEARCH I.
Into the analysis of Nitric Acid and Nitrous Gas, and the production of Nitrous Oxide.
DIVISION I.
Experiments and Observations on the composition of Nitric Acid, and on its combinations with Water and Nitrous Gas.
1. Preliminaries 1
2. Production of aëriform Nitrous Acid 3
3. Specific gravity of Gases 6
4. Experiment on the formation of Nitrous Acid 11
5. Conclusions 17
6. Experiments on the combination of Nitrous Gas with Nitric Acid 17
7. Additional Experiments 23
8. Conclusions 29
9. Mr. Thomson’s Theory of the difference between Nitric and Nitrous Acid 30
10. Composition of the different Nitrous Acids 36
11. Combination of Nitric Acid with Water 38
12. Of Nitrous Vapor 42
13. Comparison of the results with those of Cavendish and Lavoisier 43
DIVISION II.
Experiments and Observations on the composition of Ammoniac and on its combinations with Water and Nitric Acid.
1. Analysis of Ammoniac 56
2. Specific gravity of Ammoniac 62
3. Of the quantities of true Ammoniac in Ammoniacal Solutions 65
4. Composition of Nitrate of Ammoniac 71
5. Decomposition of Carbonate of Ammoniac, by Nitrous Acid 75
6. Decomposition of Sulphate of Ammoniac by Nitre 77
7. Non-existence of Ammoniacal Nitrites 79
8. Sources of error in Analysis 80
9. Loss in Solutions of Nitrate of Ammoniac during evaporation 83
DIVISION III.
Decomposition of Nitrate of Ammoniac—Preparation of respirable Nitrous Oxide.
1. Of the heat required for the decomposition of Nitrate of Ammoniac 84
2. Decomposition of Nitrate of Ammoniac—Production of respirable Nitrous Oxide—its properties 86
3. Of the Gas remaining after the absorption of Nitrous Oxide by Water 89
4. Specific Gravity of Nitrous Oxide 94
5. Analysis of Nitrous Oxide 95
6. Minute examination of the decomposition of Nitrate of Ammoniac 101
7. Of the heat produced during the decomposition of Nitrate of Ammoniac 108
8. Decomposition of Nitrate of Ammoniac at high temperatures 109
9. Speculations on the decompositions of Nitrate of Ammoniac 113
10. Of the preparation of Nitrous Oxide for experiments on respiration 117
DIVISION IV.
Experiments and Observations on the composition ofNitrous Gas, and on its absorption by different bodies.
1. Preliminaries 122
2. Analysis of Nitrous Gas by Charcoal 126
3. Analysis of Nitrous Gas by Pyrophorus 132
4. Additional observations on the composition of Nitrous Gas 134
5. Absorption of Nitrous Gas by Water 140
6. Absorption of Nitrous Gas by Water of different kinds 147
7. Absorption of Nitrous Gas by solution of pale green Sulphate of Iron 152
8. Absorption of Nitrous Gas by solution of green muriate of Iron 179
9. By Solution of Nitrate of Iron 187
10. By other metallic Solutions 189
11. Action of sulphurated Hydrogene on solution of green sulphate of iron impregnated with Nitrous Gas 191
12. Additional Observations 193
DIVISION V.
Experiments and Observations on the production of Nitrous Oxide from Nitrous Gas and Nitric Acid in different modes.
1. Preliminaries 197
2. Conversion of Nitrous Gas into Nitrous Oxide by alkaline sulphites 199
3. By Muriate of Tin 202
4. By Sulphurated Hydrogene 203
5. Decomposition of Nitrous Gas by Nascent Hydrogene 206
6. Miscellaneous Observations 209
7. Recapitulation 211
8. Production of Nitrous Oxide from Metallic Solutions 213
9. Additional Observations relating to the production of Nitrous Oxide 219
10. Decomposition of Aqua regia by platina, and evolution of a gas analogous to oxygenated muriatic acid, and nitrogene 222
11. Action of the electric spark on a mixture of Nitrogene and Nitrous gas 229
12. General remarks on the production of Nitrous Oxide 231
RESEARCH II.
Into the combinations of Nitrous Oxide, and its decomposition.
DIVISION I.
Experiments and Observations on the combinations of Nitrous Oxide.
1. Combination of Water with Nitrous Oxide 235
2. —— of Nitrous Oxide with fluid inflammable bodies 240
3. Action of fluid Acids on Nitrous Oxide 244
4. —— of Saline Solutions 245
5. —— of Gases 248
6. Action of aëriform Nitrous Oxide on the alkalies—History of the discovery of the combinations of Nitrous Oxide, with the alkalies 254
7. Combination of Nitrous Oxide with Potash 262
8. Combination of Nitrous Oxide with Soda 268
9. —— —— —— with Ammoniac 269
10. Probability of forming compounds of Nitrous Oxide and the alkaline earths 273
11. Additional Observations 274
12. The properties of Nitrous oxide resemble those of Acids 276
DIVISION II.
Decomposition of Nitrous Oxide by combustible Bodies.
1. Preliminaries 278
2. Conversion of Nitrous Oxide into Nitrous Acid and a gas analogous to Atmospheric Air by ignition 279
3. Decomposition of Nitrous Oxide by Hydrogene 286
4. —— —— —— by Phosphorus 293
5. —— —— by Phosphorated Hydrogene 300
6. —— by Sulphur 303
7. —— by Sulphurated Hydrogene 306
8. —— by Charcoal 311
9. —— by Hydrocarbonate 313
10. Combustion of Iron in Nitrous Oxide 316
11. —— of Pyrophorus 318
12. —— of the Taper 319
13. —— of different Compound Bodies 321
14. General Conclusions relating to the decomposition of Nitrous Oxide, and to its analysis 322
15. Observations on the combinations of Oxygene and Nitrogene 325
RESEARCH III.
Relating to the Respiration of Nitrous Oxide and other Gases.
DIVISION I.
Experiments and Observations on the effects produced upon Animals by the respiration of Nitrous Oxide.
1. Preliminaries 333
2. On the respiration of Nitrous Oxide by warm-blooded Animals 336
3. Effects of the respiration of Nitrous Oxide upon Animals, as compared with those produced by their immersion in Hydrogene and Water 343
4. Of the changes effected in the organisation of warm-blooded Animals, by the respiration of Nitrous Oxide 347
5. Of the respiration of mixtures of Nitrous Oxide and other Gases, by warm-blooded Animals 358
6. Recapitulation of facts relating to the respiration of Nitrous Oxide, by warm-blooded Animals 360
7. Of the respiration of Nitrous Oxide, by amphibious Animals 362
8. Effects of Solution of Nitrous Oxide on Fishes 366
9. Effects of Nitrous Oxide on Insects 370
DIVISION II.
Of the changes effected in Nitrous Oxide and other Gases, by the Respiration of Animals.
1. Preliminaries 373
2. Absorption of Nitrous Oxide by Venous Blood 374
3. Of the changes effected in Nitrous Oxide by Respiration 388
4. Respiration of Hydrogene 400
5. Additional Observations and Experiments on the Respiration of Nitrous Oxide 411
6. Of the Respiration of Atmospheric Air 429
7. Respiration of Oxygene 439
8. Observations on the changes effected in the blood by Atmospheric Air and Oxygene 445
9. Observations on the Respiration of Nitrous Oxide 449
RESEARCH IV.
Relating to the Effects produced by the Respiration of Nitrous Oxide upon different Individuals.
DIVISION I.
History of the Discovery.—Effects produced by the Respiration of different Gases.
1. Respirability of Nitrous Oxide 456
2. Effects of Nitrous Oxide 458
3. General Effects of Nitrous Oxide on the Health 464
4. Respiration of Hydrogene 466
5. —— of Nitrogene 467
6. Effects of Hydrocarbonate 468
7. —— of Carbonic Acid 472
8. —— of Oxygene 473
9. —— of Nitrous Gas 475
10. Most extensive action of Nitrous Oxide produces no debility 485
DIVISION II.
Details of the Effects produced by the Respiration of Nitrous Oxide upon different Individuals, furnished by Themselves.
1. Detail of Mr. J. W. Tobin 497
2. —— of Mr. W. Clayfield 502
3. Letter from Dr. Kinglake 503
4. Detail of Mr. Southey 507
5. Letter from Dr. Roget 509
6. Letter from Mr. James Thomson 512
7. Detail of Mr. Coleridge 516
8. —— of Mr. Wedgwood 518
9. —— of Mr. G. Burnet 520
10. —— of Mr. T. Pople 521
11. —— of Mr. Hammick 522
12. —— of Dr. Blake 524
13. —— of Mr. Wanfey 525
14. —— of Mr. Rickman 526
15. —— of Mr. Lovell Edgworth 527
16. —— of Mr. G. Bedford 528
17. —— of Miss Ryland 530
18. Letter from Mr. M. M. Coates 530
DIVISION III.
Abstracts from additional Details—Observations on the effects of Nitrous Oxide, by Dr. Beddoes—Conclusion.
1. Abstracts from additional details 533
2. Of the effects of Nitrous Oxide on delicate females 537
3. Observations on the effects of Nitrous Oxide by Dr. Beddoes 541
4. Conclusion 548
APPENDIX.
No. I. Of the effects of Nitrous Oxide on Vegetables 561
No. II. Table of the Weight and Composition of the combinations of Nitrogene 566
No. III. Additional Observations 567
No. IV. Description of a Mercurial Airholder, and Breathing Machine, by Mr. W. Clayfield. 573
No. V. Proposals for the Preservation of Accidental Observations in Medicine. By Dr. Beddoes. 577