Nitrogenum Oxygenatum.
Nitrous Oxide Gas. Laughing Gas. NO. Solution.
Clinical.─
Enuresis. Epilepsy. Hysteria. Lungs,
congestion of.
Characteristics.─
This well-known anćsthetic,
introduced by Sir Humphrey Davy, has given rise to some pathological symptoms which I have
collected in the Schema. Some of them were observed by myself on a girl of twelve who had
congestion of the right lung setting in within a few hours of the anćsthesia (H. W., xxv. 64); and on a man, 30, who had blisters round his
mouth, inside, on two occasions after being under gas; was troubled with drowsiness for
weeks after, and had acneous spots on his face. Others are from the observations of Mr. Silk
(H. W., xxv. 462); and the rest are from provings
recorded by Allen. Silk observed that females were very much more liable to ill effects than
males. One of his patients, an epileptic girl, otherwise healthy, when he removed the
face-piece, struggled to get her hands up, and afterwards described her feelings as
“pain in the forehead where the aura commenced.” In one epileptic patient (not Mr.
Silk’s) a fit actually did occur. Rhythmic movement of the arms or legs is a common
occurrence. One prover had his piles cured as an incidental result of his experiments.
Relations.─
Antidoted by:
Bell. (?). Compare: Nit. ac. In congestion, Ver. v.
SYMPTOMS.
1. Mind.─
Unusual exaltation of mind; most
agreeable sensations and fancies; involuntary desire to laugh.─No
command over himself.─Mental torture beyond endurance.─Mind
extremely susceptible to suggestion.─After the giddiness, rapid rush of
thoughts; afterwards unconsciousness.
2. Head.─
On going into open air, vertigo and
staggering to l.─Giddiness after palpitation.─A kind
of waving of the head.─Numb feeling on head, spreading thence over body,
before the paroxysms.─Aching in head and along spine as if they were
asleep.─Headache after return of consciousness.
3. Eyes.─
Widely dilated pupils.─Pupils
first dilated, later contracted.─Protruding eyeballs.
4. Ears.─
On waking from unconsciousness, voices
of others seemed to come from a great distance; or to be in a whisper.
6. Face.─
Face livid with unconsciousness.─Face
swollen.─Blue lips, ears, face; afterwards face dusky.─Acne.─Jaws
firmly clenched.
8. Mouth.─
Mouth and head feel numb, as though
asleep.─Eruption of blisters round mouth inside.─Point
of tongue thrust between teeth.
9. Throat.─
Weakness and feeling of constriction
in throat; dysphagia.
11. Stomach.─
Pressure in epigastrium.─Nausea
and vomiting on return of consciousness; next day a bilious attack.
13. Anus.─
(Hćmorrhoidal pains from which he
suffered entirely disappeared.)
14. Urinary Organs.─
Involuntary micturition.
16. Female Sexual Organs.─
Erotic movements and
sexual illusions.─Anćsthesia in a nursing woman brought on a bilious
attack next day, and the infant was made ill.
17. Respiratory Organs.─
Breathing: quick; thick
and stertorous.─Suffocative feeling.─Cough with
hćmoptysis.─Cough early morning.
18. Chest.─
Great pain at chest; cough with
hćmoptysis; > hot applications to chest; it seemed
as if something which was obstructing the chest dropped down into stomach.─Sharp
pain in front of chest, < lying on r. side.─R.
chest congested and dull on percussion.
19. Heart.─
Great lividity and tendency to faint
(in a cardiac case).─Palpitation of heart, afterwards felt and heard in
head.
20. Neck and Back.─
Tension in sides of neck in
region of carotids.─Drawing in neck, as though skin were contracted or
cords shortened.─Sensation of drawing in muscles, esp. lumbar muscles.
24. Generalities.─
In a patient suffering from
valvular disease heart there was a more than usual degree of lividity during anćsthesia,
and a tendency to syncope afterwards.─Rhythmic movement of arms or legs.─Opisthotonos,
most common in females; much struggling.─Epileptic convulsion (in an
epileptic) during the anćsthesia.─Pain in forehead where the aura
commenced (in an epileptic under the gas).─Increased muscular rigor.
Muscular weakness.─Muscular pains in joints revived.
26. Sleep.─
Sleepy.─Drowsiness
continued for weeks after the gas.─Screamed whenever she fell asleep.
27. Fever.─
Coldness of feet and legs to knees
between the paroxysms of consciousness.─Fever every afternoon from 3 to
6.─Delirium in evening.─Face covered with
perspiration after return of consciousness.® 2000
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