Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-01-04
Experiments in Intsxieation.

! IA q rule, the dream Of the ether.
lrinkeF, while he Is under the spell ol
his enchantress, is far more refined and
light thar the dream of the alcoholic.
I as that is usually described by those
~ho have felt it. Sir Humphrey Davy.
In hIs tnennFl able, perfect. and original
work on nitrous oxide or laugli 9g-gas.
strikes a contrast between the. action Of
that gas and of alcohol on mind and
body. For the sake of experiment.
Sir Humphrey subjected himself rvs
ternaticilly H. an Intoxicating draught
oi alcohol. He drank bottle Of vine
III large drauShis in less than eight
minutes. Whilst he vas drinking he
felt sense of fuilness in his head aud
thTobbiBg o! the arteries. After he had
taken all the wine the sense Of fuIIuess
in the head remained, objects around
hIGl became dazzling, tue power of dis
tiuct articulation Was lost, aud he MAS
unable To walk steadily. A. this mo-
nent his sensations were rather pleas
urAbie than otherwise: the sense of full
ness IN the lead soon, however, in
creased so as to become paiufal, and in
less than AN hour he had lapsed into IA
state of insensibilIty, in which situation
lie remained for two hours or two
hours and half He was awakened
by headache and painful nausea.
The nausea continued even after
the contents of the stomach had been
elected. The pain in the head every
minute increased; he was neither fever
lsh nor thirsty; his bodily and mental
debility were excessive, and his pulse
was feeble and quick. In most precise
terms the acute effects from alcohol are
here faithfully depicted by one of the
finest observers of natural phenomena.
The description reads in still more
striking form when it is compared with
that of an intox!cation produced by
nitrous oxide gas in the same observer.
The description of the intoxication
from nitrous oxide is taken again from
a direct experimental and personal oh.
servation. Sir Humphrey breathed
nitrous-oxide for long time in closed
chamber, and felt some effects, which
he has chronicled; but it was not until
after that the full realization of his new
life was experienced. After leaving his
"box" in which he had been breathing
the gas, he began to respire twenty
quarts OF the pure gas, and thereupon
the change of life began. He felt
sense of tangible extension in every
limb; his visible impressions were daz
cling and apparently magnified; he
heard distinctly every sound in the
room. and was perfectly aware Of his
situation. BY degrees, as the pleasure
able sensations increased, he lost all
connection with external things; trains
of vivid visible images rapidly passed
through his mind. and were connected
with words in such a manner as to pro-
duce perceptions perfectly novel. He
existed in world of newly connected
and newlymodified ideas. He theo-
rized; he imagined that he made dis |
cOveries. When he was awakened from
his semi-delirious trance by his friend !
DR.. Kinglake, who took the inhaling-
bag from his mouth. indignation and |
pride were the first feelings produced |
by the sight Of the persons about him.
His emotions were enthusiastic and
and for minute he walked
round the room perfectly regardless of
what was said to him. Ashe recovered |
his former state of mind he felt an in
clination to communicate the discoveries
he had made during the experiment
He endeavored to recall the ideas, but
they were feeble and indistinct; one
collection of terms, however, presented
itself, add. with the most intense belief
and prophetic manner, he explained to
DIR. Kinglake. Nothing exists but
thoughts! the universe is composed of
ideas and pains!" In this
narrative we have description of an
refined to the extremist
degree, from which recovery was rapid,
with pleasurable sensations. It, too, is
an intoxication the habit of which is cas-
lily acquired and craved after. Sir Hum
phrey Davy was q strong minded man
by nature, brave, resolute, wise, self
sacrificing. Yet, after he had become |
somewhat habituated to the taking of
for experiments sake,
he was led to make confession that "a
desire to breathe the gas was always
awakened in him by the sight of q per-
son breathing, or even by that of an
air-bag or gas-holder." = Genfleman's
Magazine.