Practical suggestions for making and inhaling nitrous oxide / by A.W. Sprague.

  • Sprague, A. W. (Alfred White), 1821-1891.
Date:
[1868?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Practical suggestions for making and inhaling nitrous oxide / by A.W. Sprague. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    nitrate of ammonia is used pure nitrous oxide will be obtained. This is a very serious mistake. At least three violent poisons may be generated from the pure nitrate. But the one most likely to be formed, the hardest to separate from the nitrous oxide, and the most deleterious in its effects when inhaled, is the binoxide of nitrogen, or nitric oxide. This gas is colorless, and therefore invisible; is much lighter than nitrous oxide, and far less soluble in water. If any of it is formed, it is likely to pass into the gasometer. Unfortunately, some of our authors tell us that it and all other impurities are removed by passing the gas through water. To wash this out of nitrous oxide would be equivalent to washing sand out of sugar. If equal quantities of the two gases were commingled, and the mixture passed through water, by the time the water had absorbed all the nitrous oxide eighty-nine per cent, of the nitric oxide would still remain. “To separate nitric from nitrous oxide, some writers tell us to put sulphate of iron in the washers. But this is not satisfactory. When it is not the intention to form any nitric oxide, and when we have no means of knowing, at the time, how much is made, how are we to know how much sulphate to use ? Again, we are told to leave some atmospheric air in the gasometer. If nitric oxide is formed, it will be changed to nitrous acid by the oxygen of the air, and this will be dissolved in the water. But how much air shall we leave in ? If too much, our gas is diluted, and not reliable. If too little, we still have the poison. “ But if nitric oxide is formed, why is its presence so objectionable ? Think, for a moment, of its nature and properties. It is composed of one equivalent o^ nitrogen united with two of oxygen. When exposed to atmospheric air, it takes two more equivalents of oxygen, and is changed to nitrous acid. This, in contact with water, is changed to nitric acid, by taking an equivalent of oxygen from the water. And who would not shrink from the thought of cauterizing the entire pulmonary mucous membrane with the vapors of nitric acid ? But the nitric acid formed as above described is brought in contact with this membrane in its nascent state, being then as much more caustic than ordinary nitric acid, as ozone is more corrosive than oxygen. That nitric oxide goes through these changes rapidly, may be demonstrated by a simple experiment in the hands of any one. Nitric oxide is colorless. When dilute nitric acid is