I have two or three times since respired nitrous oxide under similar circumstances; but never with equal pleasure.
During the last fortnight, I have breathed it very often; the effects have been powerful and the sensations uncommon; but pleasurable only in a slight degree.
I ought to have observed that a desire to breathe the gas is always awakened in me by the sight of a person breathing, or even by that of an air-bag or an airholder.
I have this day, June 5th, respired four large doses of gas. The first two taken in the morning acted very powerfully; but produced no thrilling or other pleasurable feelings. The effects of the third breathed immediately after a hearty dinner were pleasant, but neither intense or intoxicating. The fourth was respired at night in darkness and silence after the occurrence of a circumstance which had produced some anxiety. This dose affected me powerfully and pleasantly; a slight thrilling in the extremities was produced; an exhiliration continued for some time, and I have had but little return of uneasiness. 11 P. M.
From the nature of the language of feeling, the preceding detail contains many imperfections; I have endeavoured to give as accurate an account as possible of the strange effects of nitrous oxide, by making use of terms standing for the most similar common feelings.
We are incapable of recollecting pleasures and pains of sense.[220] It is impossible to reason concerning them, except by means of terms which have been associated with them at the moment of their existence, and which are afterwards called up amidst trains of concomitant ideas.
When pleasures and pains are new or connected with new ideas, they can never be intelligibly detailed unless associated during their existence with terms standing for analogous feelings.
I have sometimes experienced from nitrous oxide, sensations similar to no others, and they have consequently been indescribable. This has been likewise often the case with other persons. Of two paralytic patients who were asked what they felt after breathing nitrous oxide, the first answered, “I do not know how, but very queer.” The second said, “I felt like the sound of a harp.” Probably in the one case, no analogous feelings had ever occurred. In the other, the pleasurable thrillings were similar to the sensations produced by music; and hence, they were connected with terms formerly applied to music.
DIVISION II.
DETAILS of the EFFECTS produced by the RESPIRATION of NITROUS OXIDE upon different INDIVIDUALS furnished by THEMSELVES.