Researches on the medical properties and applications of nitrous oxide, protoxide of nitrogen, or laughing gas / By Geo. J. Ziegler.

  • Ziegler, George J. (George Jacob), 1821-1895.
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Researches on the medical properties and applications of nitrous oxide, protoxide of nitrogen, or laughing gas / By Geo. J. Ziegler. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    each other, whereas in atmospheric air they are in but simple mechanical association without any apparent chemical union whatever. Nevertheless, though thus differing in the relative proportion and character of association of these constitutional elements, protoxide of nitrogen and atmospheric air are similar in their general properties and relations, varying more in the degree, perhaps, than in the nature of their affinitive reactions and physiological effects. Besides atmospheric air, nitrous oxide is closely cor- related with oxygen, to which indeed it is so directly identified as to encourage the belief that all its active properties as well as those of its congener—atmospheric air—depend exclusively upon this one element, but that such is not the fact we expect to make evident here- after, notwithstanding the apparent similarity through- out of these respective agents, for in most of their prominent features they resemble each other so strik- ingly as to give rise to the impression of their inter- dependence upon one and the same substance just men- tioned. This general similitude is especially manifest in the chemical and vital reactions, for like atmospheric air and oxygen, protoxide of nitrogen is an active sup- porter of combustion and of life, though in these re- spects it is in some measure more nearly allied to the latter than the former, from the greater relative propor- tion of this important element as well as in consequence, doubtless, of the peculiar combination of its constituents.