Part 1
Transcriber’s Notes:
Underscores “_” before and after a word or phrase indicate _italics_ in the original text. Small capitals have been converted to SOLID capitals. Illustrations have been moved so they do not break up paragraphs. Antiquated spellings have been preserved. Typographical and punctuation errors have been silently corrected. The text usually uses a comma to designate a decimal point, although a period is used in some instances. The changes mentioned in the ERRATA have been applied to the text.
RESEARCHES, CHEMICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL; CHIEFLY CONCERNING NITROUS OXIDE,
OR DEPHLOGISTICATED NITROUS AIR, AND ITS RESPIRATION.
By HUMPHRY DAVY,
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE MEDICAL PNEUMATIC INSTITUTION.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, ST. PAUL’S CHURCH-YARD, BY BIGGS AND COTTLE, BRISTOL, 1800.
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION, xi.
RESEARCH I. _Into the analysis of_ NITRIC ACID _and_ NITROUS GAS, _and the production of_ NITROUS OXIDE.
DIVISION I. EXPERIMENTS _and_ OBSERVATIONS _on the composition of_ NITRIC ACID, _and on its combinations with_ WATER _and_ NITROUS GAS.
1. Preliminaries 1 2. Production of aëriform Nitrous Acid 3 3. Specific gravity of Gases 6 4. Experiment on the formation of Nitrous Acid 11 5. Conclusions 17 6. Experiments on the combination of Nitrous Gas with Nitric Acid 17 7. Additional Experiments 23 8. Conclusions 29 9. Mr. THOMSON’S Theory of the difference between Nitric and Nitrous Acid 30 10. Composition of the different Nitrous Acids 36 11. Combination of Nitric Acid with Water 38 12. Of Nitrous Vapor 42 13. Comparison of the results with those of Cavendish and Lavoisier 43
DIVISION II. EXPERIMENTS _and_ OBSERVATIONS _on the composition of_ AMMONIAC _and on its combinations with_ WATER _and_ NITRIC ACID.
1. Analysis of Ammoniac 56 2. Specific gravity of Ammoniac 62 3. Of the quantities of true Ammoniac in Ammoniacal Solutions 65 4. Composition of Nitrate of Ammoniac 71 5. Decomposition of Carbonate of Ammoniac, by Nitrous Acid 75 6. Decomposition of Sulphate of Ammoniac by Nitre 77 7. Non-existence of Ammoniacal Nitrites 79 8. Sources of error in Analysis 80 9. Loss in Solutions of Nitrate of Ammoniac during evaporation 83
DIVISION III. DECOMPOSITION _of_ NITRATE _of_ AMMONIAC—_Preparation of_ RESPIRABLE NITROUS OXIDE.
1. Of the heat required for the decomposition of Nitrate of Ammoniac 84 2. Decomposition of Nitrate of Ammoniac—Production of respirable Nitrous Oxide—its properties 86 3. Of the Gas remaining after the absorption of Nitrous Oxide by Water 89 4. Specific Gravity of Nitrous Oxide 94 5. Analysis of Nitrous Oxide 95 6. Minute examination of the decomposition of Nitrate of Ammoniac 101 7. Of the heat produced during the decomposition of Nitrate of Ammoniac 108 8. Decomposition of Nitrate of Ammoniac at high temperatures 109 9. Speculations on the decompositions of Nitrate of Ammoniac 113 10. Of the preparation of Nitrous Oxide for experiments on respiration 117
DIVISION IV. EXPERIMENTS _and_ OBSERVATIONS _on the composition of_ NITROUS GAS, _and on its absorption by different bodies_.
1. Preliminaries 122 2. Analysis of Nitrous Gas by Charcoal 126 3. Analysis of Nitrous Gas by Pyrophorus 132 4. Additional observations on the composition of Nitrous Gas 134 5. Absorption of Nitrous Gas by Water 140 6. Absorption of Nitrous Gas by Water of different kinds 147 7. Absorption of Nitrous Gas by solution of pale green Sulphate of Iron 152 8. Absorption of Nitrous Gas by solution of green muriate of Iron 179 9. By Solution of Nitrate of Iron 187 10. By other metallic Solutions 189 11. Action of sulphurated Hydrogene on solution of green sulphate of iron impregnated with Nitrous Gas 191 12. Additional Observations 193
DIVISION V. EXPERIMENTS _and_ OBSERVATIONS _on the production of_ NITROUS OXIDE _from_ NITROUS GAS _and_ NITRIC ACID _in different modes_.
1. Preliminaries 197 2. Conversion of Nitrous Gas into Nitrous Oxide by alkaline sulphites 199 3. By Muriate of Tin 202 4. By Sulphurated Hydrogene 203 5. Decomposition of Nitrous Gas by Nascent Hydrogene 206 6. Miscellaneous Observations 209 7. Recapitulation 211 8. Production of Nitrous Oxide from Metallic Solutions 213 9. Additional Observations relating to the production of Nitrous Oxide 219 10. Decomposition of Aqua regia by platina, and evolution of a gas analogous to oxygenated muriatic acid, and nitrogene 222 11. Action of the electric spark on a mixture of Nitrogene and Nitrous gas 229 12. General remarks on the production of Nitrous Oxide 231
RESEARCH II. _Into the combinations of_ NITROUS OXIDE, _and its decomposition_.
DIVISION I. EXPERIMENTS _and_ OBSERVATIONS _on the combinations of_ NITROUS OXIDE.
1. Combination of Water with Nitrous Oxide 235 2. —— of Nitrous Oxide with fluid inflammable bodies 240 3. Action of fluid Acids on Nitrous Oxide 244 4. —— of Saline Solutions 245 5. —— of Gases 248 6. Action of aëriform Nitrous Oxide on the alkalies—History of the discovery of the combinations of Nitrous Oxide, with the alkalies 254 7. Combination of Nitrous Oxide with Potash 262 8. Combination of Nitrous Oxide with Soda 268 9. —— —— —— with Ammoniac 269 10. Probability of forming compounds of Nitrous Oxide and the alkaline earths 273 11. Additional Observations 274 12. The properties of Nitrous oxide resemble those of Acids 276
DIVISION II. _Decomposition of_ NITROUS OXIDE _by combustible Bodies_.
1. Preliminaries 278 2. Conversion of Nitrous Oxide into Nitrous Acid and a gas analogous to Atmospheric Air by ignition 279 3. Decomposition of Nitrous Oxide by Hydrogene 286 4. —— —— —— by Phosphorus 293 5. —— —— by Phosphorated Hydrogene 300 6. —— —— by Sulphur 303 7. —— —— by Sulphurated Hydrogene 306 8. —— —— by Charcoal 311 9. —— —— by Hydrocarbonate 313 10. Combustion of Iron in Nitrous Oxide 316 11. —— of Pyrophorus 318 12. —— of the Taper 319 13. —— of different Compound Bodies 321 14. General Conclusions relating to the decomposition of Nitrous Oxide, and to its analysis 322 15. Observations on the combinations of Oxygene and Nitrogene 325
RESEARCH III. _Relating to the_ RESPIRATION _of_ NITROUS OXIDE _and_ OTHER GASES.
DIVISION I. EXPERIMENTS _and_ OBSERVATIONS _on the effects produced upon Animals by the respiration of_ NITROUS OXIDE.
1. Preliminaries 333 2. On the respiration of Nitrous Oxide by warm-blooded Animals 336 3. Effects of the respiration of Nitrous Oxide upon Animals, as compared with those produced by their immersion in Hydrogene and Water 343 4. Of the changes effected in the organisation of warm-blooded Animals, by the respiration of Nitrous Oxide 347 5. Of the respiration of mixtures of Nitrous Oxide and other Gases, by warm-blooded Animals 358 6. Recapitulation of facts relating to the respiration of Nitrous Oxide, by warm-blooded Animals 360 7. Of the respiration of Nitrous Oxide, by amphibious Animals 362 8. Effects of Solution of Nitrous Oxide on Fishes 366 9. Effects of Nitrous Oxide on Insects 370
DIVISION II. _Of the changes effected in_ NITROUS OXIDE _and other Gases, by the Respiration of Animals_.
1. Preliminaries 373 2. Absorption of Nitrous Oxide by Venous Blood 374 3. Of the changes effected in Nitrous Oxide by Respiration 388 4. Respiration of Hydrogene 400 5. Additional Observations and Experiments on the Respiration of Nitrous Oxide 411 6. Of the Respiration of Atmospheric Air 429 7. Respiration of Oxygene 439 8. Observations on the changes effected in the blood by Atmospheric Air and Oxygene 445 9. Observations on the Respiration of Nitrous Oxide 449
RESEARCH IV. _Relating to the_ EFFECTS _produced by the_ RESPIRATION _of_ NITROUS OXIDE _upon different_ INDIVIDUALS.
DIVISION I. HISTORY _of the Discovery_.—EFFECTS _produced by the Respiration of different_ GASES.
1. Respirability of Nitrous Oxide 456 2. Effects of Nitrous Oxide 458 3. General Effects of Nitrous Oxide on the Health 464 4. Respiration of Hydrogene 466 5. —— of Nitrogene 467 6. Effects of Hydrocarbonate 468 7. —— of Carbonic Acid 472 8. —— of Oxygene 473 9. —— of Nitrous Gas 475 10. Most extensive action of Nitrous Oxide produces no debility 485
DIVISION II. DETAILS _of the Effects produced by the Respiration of_ NITROUS OXIDE _upon different Individuals, furnished by Themselves_.
1. Detail of Mr. J. W. Tobin 497 2. —— of Mr. W. Clayfield 502 3. Letter from Dr. Kinglake 503 4. Detail of Mr. Southey 507 5. Letter from Dr. Roget 509 6. Letter from Mr. James Thomson 512 7. Detail of Mr. Coleridge 516 8. —— of Mr. Wedgwood 518 9. —— of Mr. G. Burnet 520 10. —— of Mr. T. Pople 521 11. —— of Mr. Hammick 522 12. —— of Dr. Blake 524 13. —— of Mr. Wanfey 525 14. —— of Mr. Rickman 526 15. —— of Mr. Lovell Edgworth 527 16. —— of Mr. G. Bedford 528 17. —— of Miss Ryland 530 18. Letter from Mr. M. M. Coates 530
DIVISION III. _Abstracts from additional Details—Observations on the effects of_ NITROUS OXIDE, _by_ Dr. BEDDOES—_Conclusion_.
1. Abstracts from additional details 533 2. Of the effects of Nitrous Oxide on delicate females 537 3. Observations on the effects of Nitrous Oxide by Dr. BEDDOES 541 4. Conclusion 548
APPENDIX. No. I. Of the effects of Nitrous Oxide on Vegetables 561 No. II. Table of the Weight and Composition of the combinations of Nitrogene 566 No. III. Additional Observations 567 No. IV. Description of a Mercurial Airholder, and Breathing Machine, by Mr. W. CLAYFIELD. 573 No. V. Proposals for the Preservation of Accidental Observations in Medicine. By Dr. BEDDOES. 577
INTRODUCTION.
In consequence of the discovery of the respirability and extraordinary effects of nitrous oxide, or the dephlogisticated nitrous gas of Dr. Priestley, made in April 1799, in a manner to be particularly described hereafter,[1] I was induced to carry on the following investigation concerning its composition, properties, combinations, and mode of operation on living beings.
[1] A short account of this discovery has been given in Dr. Beddoes’s Notice of some Observations made at the Pneumatic Institution, and in Mr. Nicholson’s Phil. Journal for May and December 1799.
In the course of this investigation, I have met with many difficulties; some arising from the novel and obscure nature of the subject, and others from a want of coincidence in the observations of different experimentalists on the properties and mode of production of the gas. By extending my researches to the different substances connected with nitrous oxide; nitrous acid, nitrous gas and ammoniac; and by multiplying the comparisons of facts, I have succeeded in removing the greater number of those difficulties, and have been enabled to give a tolerably clear history of the combinations of oxygene and nitrogene.
By employing both analysis and synthesis whenever these methods were equally applicable, and comparing experiments made under different circumstances, I have endeavoured to guard against sources of error; but I cannot flatter myself that I have altogether avoided them. The physical sciences are almost wholly dependant on the minute observation and comparison of properties of things not immediately obvious to the senses; and from the difficulty of discovering every possible mode of examination, and from the modification of perceptions by the state of feeling, it appears nearly impossible that all the relations of a series of phænomena can be discovered by a single investigation, particularly when these relations are complicated, and many of the agents unknown. Fortunately for the active and progressive nature of the human mind, even experimental research is only a method of approximation to truth.
In the arrangement of facts, I have been guided as much as possible by obvious and simple analogies only. Hence I have seldom entered into theoretical discussions, particularly concerning light, heat, and other agents, which are known only by isolated effects.
Early experience has taught me the folly of hasty generalisation. We are ignorant of the laws of corpuscular motion; and an immense mass of minute observations concerning the more complicated chemical changes must be collected, probably before we shall be able to ascertain even whether we are capable of discovering them. Chemistry in its present state, is simply a partial history of phænomena, consisting of many series more or less extensive of accurately connected facts.
With the most important of these series, the arrangement of the combinations of oxygene or the antiphlogistic theory discovered by Lavoisier, the chemical details in this work are capable of being connected.
In the present state of science, it will be unnecessary to enter into discussions concerning the importance of investigations relating to the properties of physiological agents, and the changes effected in them during their operation. By means of such investigations, we arrive nearer towards that point from which we shall be able to view what is within the reach of discovery, and what must for ever remain unknown to us, in the phænomena of organic life. They are of immediate utility, by enabling us to extend our analogies so as to investigate the properties of untried substances, with greater accuracy and probability of success.
The first Research in this work chiefly relates to the production of nitrous oxide and the analysis of nitrous gas and nitrous acid. In this there is little that can be properly called mine; and if by repeating the experiments of other chemists, I have sometimes been able to make more minute observations concerning phænomena, and to draw different conclusions, it is wholly owing to the use I have made of the instruments of investigation discovered by the illustrious fathers of chemical philosophy,[2] and so successfully applied by them to the discovery of truth.
[2] Cavendish, Priestley, Black, Lavoisier, Scheele, Kirwan, Guyton, Berthollet, &c.
In the second Research the combinations and composition of nitrous oxide are investigated, and an account given of its decomposition by most of the combustible bodies.
The third Research contains observations on the action of nitrous oxide upon animals, and an investigation of the changes effected in it by respiration.
In the fourth Research the history of the respirability and extraordinary effects of nitrous oxide is given, with details of experiments on its powers made by different individuals.
I cannot close this introduction, without acknowledging my obligations to Dr. Beddoes. In the conception of many of the following experiments, I have been aided by his conversation and advice. They were executed in an Institution which owes its existence to his benevolent and philosophic exertions.
_Dowry-Square, Hotwells, Bristol._ _June 25th, 1800._
RESEARCH I.
CONCERNING THE ANALYSIS OF NITRIC ACID AND NITROUS GAS AND THE PRODUCTION OF NITROUS OXIDE.
RESEARCH I.
INTO THE PRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS OF NITROUS OXIDE, AND THE AËRIFORM FLUIDS RELATED TO IT.
DIVISION I.
_EXPERIMENTS and OBSERVATIONS on the composition of_ NITRIC ACID, _and on its combinations with_ WATER _and_ NITROUS GAS.
I. Though since the commencement of Pneumatic Chemistry, no substance has been more the subject of experiment than Nitrous Acid; yet still the greatest uncertainty exists with regard to the quantities of the principles entering into its composition.
In comparing the experiments of the illustrious Cavendish on the synthesis of nitrous acid, with those of Lavoisier on the decomposition of nitre by charcoal, we find a much greater difference in the results than can be accounted for by supposing the acid formed, and that decomposed, of different degrees of oxygenation.
In the most accurate experiment of Cavendish, when the nitrous acid appeared to be in a state of deoxygenation, 1 of nitrogene combined with about 2,346 of oxygene.[3] In an earlier experiment, when the acid was probably fully oxygenated, the nitrogene employed was to the oxygene nearly as 1 to 2,92.[4]
Lavoisier, from his experiments on the decomposition of nitre, and combination of nitrous gas and oxygene, concludes, that the perfectly oxygenated, or what he calls nitric acid, is composed of nearly 1 nitrogene, with 3,9 of oxygene; and the acid in the last state of deoxygenation, or nitrous acid, of about 3 oxygene with 1 nitrogene.[5]
[3] Phil. Trans. v. 78, p. 270.
[4] Phil. Trans. v. 75 p. 381.
[5] Elem. Kerr’s Trans. page 76, and 216, and Mem. des Sav. Etrang. tom. 7, page 629.
Great as the difference is between the estimations of these philosophers, we find differences still greater in the accounts of the quantities of nitrous gas necessary to saturate a given quantity of oxygene, as laid down by very accurate experimentalists. On the one hand, Priestley found 1 of oxygene condensed by 2 of nitrous gas, and Lavoisier by 1⅞. On the other, Ingenhouz, Scherer, and De la Metherie, state the quantity necessary to be from 3 to 5.[6] Humbolt, who has lately investigated Eudiometry with great ingenuity, considers the mean quantity of nitrous gas necessary to saturate 1 of oxygene, as about 2,55.[7]
[6] Ingenhouz sur les Vegetaux, pag. 205. De la Metherie. Essai sur differens Airs, pag. 252.
[7] Annales de Chimie, tome 28, p. 168.
II. To reconcile these different results is impossible, and the immediate connection of the subject with the production of nitrous oxide, as well as its general importance, obliged me to search for means of accurately determining the composition of nitrous acid in its different degrees of oxygenation.
The first desideratum was to ascertain the nature and composition of a fluid acid, which by being deprived of, or combined with nitrous gas, might become a standard of comparison for all other acids.
To obtain this acid I should have preferred the immediate combination of oxygene and nitrogene over water by the electric spark, had it been possible to obtain in this way by a common apparatus sufficient for extensive examination; but on carefully perusing the laborious experiments of Cavendish, I gave up all thoughts of attempting it.
My first experiments were made on the decomposition of nitre, formed from a known quantity of pale nitrous acid of known specific gravity, by phosphorus, tin, and charcoal: but in those processes, unascertainable quantities of nitrous acid, with excess of nitrous gas, always escaped undecompounded, and from the non-coincidence of results, where different quantities of combustible substances were employed, I had reasons for believing that water was generally decomposed.