Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-11-13

What Persons Do While Under the
Influence Of Gas.

NITROUS OXIDE EXPERIENCE.
Influence Of Gas.
FIGHTING THE DESTIsr-ruNNY DREAMs-soME
COMMENTS on ExPbRIENCEs-soMErHINGA ABOUT
TBE WAY PATIENTS ARE MANAGED.
New Yerk SUM-
Dentists who administer nitrous oxide gas
have some funny experiences. 1t has been
effect of this gas is to intensity the natural dis
position OF the one who takes 1t. A man OF
pugnacity win become more belligerent for
ingly jelly. Nervous people are apprehen-
sive Of danger. When the gas IS taken
to the point Of Inconsistencies the pa
OF MIND fhat sxsted before 'n nn Sa
ness began. Whatever train of thought was
interrupted will be continued from the point
Waterv1lle. Maine, administered the gas to
stout, healthy young fellow. At the last no.
ment Of Inhalation the patient experienced
some reyulsion Of feeling aud resisted the pro-
cess. He was compelled to complete the opera
ton. When he awOke, after his tooth had been
extracted, the first thing he did was TO aim an
ugly blow at the dentists head. The dentist
knew what was coming and ductled 10 time TO
escape. By a vigorous effort the young man was
| forced back In the Chair. But on recovery he
jumped up and aimed another blow az the den
mans clenched fist struck the wall with great
force. The result was an impression OF kIuck.
les On the wall, that may yet DE seen. Such
occurrences are not uncommon. A young NC
man who attends In The Manhattan College
Dentistry says that she once saw man geG up
after Ia king the gas and walk deliberately to
ward mirror with his tst doubled. He weu'd
have shattered 1t to pieces il she had Lot
promptly suggested to him to turn TO the Other
side OF the wall and strike there. He obeyei,
and the mirror was saved. When told what he
had done he was prOtuse with apologies. ~:
doubt If suc1 subjects had been selected for the
first public exhibitions Of the properties O.
nitrous oxide, 1t would have received the name
Of - fighting gas" rather than laughing gas"
oxide gas In lecturing in 1913, was led to do SO
by witnessing the curious prank5 OF boys In
college. where the gas was made for expert
ments. 1t was noticed that the humorous STU
dents were made more entertaining under the
influence of the gas At the public exhibitions.
therefore, odd persons were generally selected
as the subjects of experiments Like exhibitions
are daily seen In dentists chairs DR.. L, NJ
Slocum, who has assisted Dr.. Cotton. says that
the secret OF avoiding unpleasant scenes Is a
very simple one. The first thing to be done is
to prepare the mind of the subject for the
ordeal. He is told to think Of something pleas
ant. Probably the last thing he sees before
going into oblivion is the cOmey face and form
OF female attendant. He is assured that there
is 10 danger by seeing the attendant take a few
Whiffs. II the subject Is nervous woman
great care Is taken to impress her with the per-
feet pieaSantneSS OF the sensation. There are
many who Wake up crying. although they say
they have not felt the slightest LWing OF PAIN
The reason is because their minds have not
been thoroughly dsabuSed OF the idea OF suffer-
ing. Care is taken to make the surroundings
pleasant Children, however. almost always
cry after recovering consciousness, as they are
less apt to become Invested CT their apprehen-
siOns.
The general report OF those who 1nhale nit
rouS oxide Is that they have had the most de-
ljghtful dreams. The lady before quoted took
care to place In full view OF the chain where the
Iatient sat beautiful pansy. II was a COM
mon experience for patient to say. Oh,
had such beautiful dream of a garden! l
saw many charming flowers" Many persons
experience the sensation OF a buZzng In the
head. Mechanics will dream OF going into
great factories. Some dream of going on long
them suggestive OF railroad trains or wagons
Some dream OF absent or dead friends and
say that they have had momentary visions Of
and often striking, may, like the dreams Of Or
binary sleep, be almost always traced TO some
waking thought. The same jumbling of lud-
crous juxtapositions, the same anachronisms or
bringing together occurrences that are in fact
separated by long lapses OF time are frequently
observed. DR.. Slocum has observed that when
the subject has previously partaken of any
other stImulant within short time previously,
the period of Inconsistencies will be brief, and
violent symptoms are apt to occur. II he smells
liquor on mans breath he knows that he must
lock out for him after he takes few WhlffS.
Nevertheless, he has taken the gas more or less
every day for many years without becoming
pugDacious or feeling any deleterious effect.
taken the gas for amusement or to show pa
tient. He found that If the subject sat down
calmly and took the gas complacently 1t merely
produced gradual drowsiness. But If the sub.
Jet stood and resisted the result would be some
pugnaciOuS demonstration.
number OF cases are on record where den-
lists have been subjected to unjust accusations
by women who had taken the anHSthetic In
their offices to the point OF INCONSISTENCIES,
and subsequently sworn falsely with regard to
their treatment. 1t has now become the rule
wherever any considerable number or patients
are treated by dentists to have female attend
ants. This is both TO reassure the subject and
as measure of self protection TO the dentist.
Great care is often required to prevent a pa
once had q patient who was great swimmer.
After taking the gas. and at The conclusion Of
the operation, the patient began to imagine thai
he was in a swimming bath. Before the doctor
Kew what he was about he had mounted
chair and put up his hands In the position of
one about to dive. II the doctor had not caught
him he would have made precipitate plunge
to the floor. A very common experience with
iDhalerS OF the gas is to begin singing, speech
making, CT giving orders to imaginary persons.
The memory, strangely enough, is often per-
feet in state OF uncOnsciousneSS. Some
persons will deliver long recitations. repeat
verses or long passages OF Scripture while re,
been known to preach fragments OF sermons.
School teachers will repeat lessons. Pupils Will
recall their recent tasks. Musicians go to the
opera. Inventors will descant upon the per-
fectness of their Inventions. Yet men of active
brain and keen intellect, If they inhale the gas
in placid and quieScent state of mind Will not
be demonStrative. The whole action Of the
subject at the moment of recovery seems to be
governed by the state of mind at the instant OF
Inconsistencies. The venerable Peter Cooper
took the gas to have two teeth extracted. He
told Dr.. Cotton that he not only felt no pain,
but that the gas produced no unpleasant OR
injurious effects. The following is given as the
experience OF a German who took the gas:
''Ven dock dot gas goes to sleep pefore |
dfnks watts de matter. Den dreams dot drink
nit Schneider and he pays for all de peer. |
never drinks so much peer in such small
dimes. And 1t vas nice peer; oh, dot incest peer
not never vas. l drinks he healths OF General
S1gel many dimes Den fights NIT Sigel and
ven wakes up mine Colt, all my teeth vas aus
gespiel,'
Among the comments made by those who
have taken nitrous oxide are the following:
:. !. Language fails to express the pleasing sensa-
tion." "A dream Of bliss" SO Was willing to
bet 500 that my teeth were not OUT ~
thought was on picnic" s. Felt rather iolly."
" Have been In the seventh heaven 81 Thought
| was sleigh-riding" 1.-The happiest moment
OF my life was while was under the influence
OF the gas" 81 went to the opera" THE first
time ever laughed at having a tooth out.n 81
seemed to be In Paradise" 81 was perfect
know nothing"
Mi. Charles W. Morse, son of Prof S. r. B.
Morse. inventor of the magnetic telegraph once