Nitrous oxide (N2O) has been an anesthetic agent for more than 160 years and remains a pervasive agent
today, particularly in dentistry (
1
,
2
). Interestingly, its potential as a drug of abuse predates both its own clinical use
and the advent of modern anesthesia (
3
). Indeed, in 1799, the English chemist (and future Royal Society president) Humphry
Davy began meticulously documenting the effects of inhaling N2O, noting “sublime emotion connected with highly vivid ideas” (
4
). After consuming progressively increasing amounts through a specially devised “breathing
box,” he elected to share the intense derived pleasure with others. The recorded experience
of these sessions, which included famed poets and other elite members of late 18th
century British society, are now readily available (
4
,
5
). Davy's contribution also includes experience of near-death overdose.- The Public Domain Review
The nitrous oxide experiments of Humphry Davy.
http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/the-nitrous-oxide-experiments-of-humphry-davy/
Date accessed: January 18, 2018
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- The nitrous oxide experiments of Humphry Davy.(Available at:)http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/the-nitrous-oxide-experiments-of-humphry-davy/Date accessed: January 18, 2018
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- Teaching neuroimage: inverted V sign in subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord.Neurology. 2009; 72: e4
- Nitrous oxide induced subacute combined degeneration with longitudinally extensive myelopathy with inverted V-sign on spinal MRI: a case report and literature review.BMC Neurol. 2017; 17: 222
- Vitamin B12 deficiency.Am Fam Physician. 2003; 67: 979-986
- Neurologic disorders of vitamin b12 deficiency.Am Fam Physician. 1982; 25: 111-115
- Vitamin B12 deficiency: recognition and management.Am Fam Physician. 2017; 96: 384-389
- Is nitrous oxide a dangerous anesthetic for vitamin B12-deficient subjects?.JAMA. 1986; 255: 1605-1606
- Myeloneuropathy after prolonged exposure to nitrous oxide.Lancet. 1978; 2: 1227-1230
Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 27, 2018
Accepted:
January 28,
2018
Received:
January 23,
2018
Footnotes
Reprints are not available from the authors.
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
