The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-24
NITROUS OXIDE.

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Tae universal interest awakened by recent sad
occurrence in dentists Office may render q COM
muncation on the subject OF nitrous oxide gas w0r
thy of place in your columns. Notwithstanding
this anasthetc Is in very common Ae considerable
ignorance Is displayed by educated people concern
Ing it. An evening paper of this city, IN an
editorial article alludes to nitrous oxide" and to
'laughlng gas" TWO separate and distinct agents.
on the contrary the terms 'nitrous OXlde,n "prO-
toxide OF nitrogen" and Laughing gas are synony
nous. well known exhibitor OF laughing gas
has repeatedly asserted that the gas only differs
from ATMOSPHERIC ir in containing larger proper
ton OF oxygen. the great supporter OF
life mucn more important distinction is
tnatl atmosphere air Is merely mixture
while nitrous oxide gas Is chemical combination
OF one paIt oxygen and two parts nitrogen. TO IL.
chemical combination the gases oxygen and hydro
gen may be mixed ana breathed Tor some time with
chemical union, as in water, they are OF course in
capable OF inhalation. 1t is common belief
That nitrous oxide gas Is better when first
eral days and certain advertising dentists
lay especial emphasis upon the statement that they
have 'gas made fresh every day. The fact Is that
nitrous oxide in standing over water in the gaso-
meter is gradually relieved OF any remaining I'M
purtes, and that gas two weeks old Is really more
suitable for respiration than on the day OF Its manu-
facture.
My object call The attention OF the public to the
imperfect and sometimes dangerous methods by
which the gas Is adm nlstered by careless or I'M
principed practitioners. the proper method OF
giving o,, The y.I gas ,,h Is through some form
the gas Is breathed only by The
patent But TINS system is too expensive lot the
gratuitously Tor persons ordering ARTIFICIAL work.
He must economist the precious mud. There are
various ways OF accomplishing this result. A SIM
pie stopcock inhaler ana rubber Dag are inva-
riably employed, ana the patient is compelled
to breathe the gas over several times, re-
ceiving back into his lungs the poisonous
exhalations OF carbonc acid. This, however Is q
trifiing matter, compared with certain other aoom-
Unable practices. Some dentists retain the gas
charged with impurities, and perhaps disease and,
with some slight addition rom the gasometer pre-.
sent the bag to the unsuspccting lips OF the next
customer. Others return the deeriorated gas d.
rectly to the gasomeer, relying upon the water In
the , receiver eve 10 aDsoro us deadly corruption.
particularly to touch. as 1t IS, doubtless the most
dangerous Of al; If twenty or thirty drops, or
bag or gas, Its effects are more immediate and
much more lasting. SO small a quantity
without question frequently prevents the
necessity Of administering the gas the
fact and make q regular custom OF introducing
chloroform. which readily vaporlzes in the bag
when the cnlorolorm is employed less gas Is
required IL Is quite unnecessary at this late
day to dila, n;o upon me %o dangerous prop,
well authenticated cases OF death by this powerful
narcotic are on record, and some fatalities have
occurred as the result OF less tnan half dozen
Innalatlons OF the vapor. Now claim that
persons peculiarly susceptible to chloroiorm
are In greater peril from It's adminlstra-
ton IN connection win nitrous oxide than
rom the method usually employed by surgeons. In
the latter case atmospheric air Is occasionally adj
mitted, which tends TO oXygenizc the blood and
neutraiiZe the poison Of the choroform vapor. But,
III the former instance atmospheric air Is excluded
and the system Is lett entirely at the mercy OF the
two powerful agents IN combination. Deaths do
not often occur, because by means OF
the gas aDpsthesia Is speedily secured, the
bag Is removed for the purposes OF the proposed
operation and the natural functions OF the lungs
are resumed; yet VINO can estimate the amount OF
injury TO delicate organization Induced
by resort to this hazardous practice, and
with wnat words shall we condemn those
reckless and infamous Adventures VINO adopt
ry In conclusion, l believe pure nitrous
oxide gas properly administered to be by far the
safest anastheuc IN general use, anu II this letter
shall induce some careless practitioners 10 reform
the abuses which nave, III my opinlon, tended to
bring this valuable agent into dlsrepute IL Will not
have been written In vain
NEW YORK. March q, 1872.