Nitrogenum Oxygenatum
Clarke - Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · John Henry Clarke · 4,359 chars · source ↗
General
Nitrogenum Oxygenatum.
Nitrous Oxide Gas. Laughing Gas. NO. Solution.
Clinical
Enuresis. Epilepsy. Hysteria. Lungs, congestion of.
Characteristics
This well-known anaesthetic, introduced by Sir Humphrey Davy, has given rise to some pathological symptoms which I have collected in the Schema. Some of them were observed by myself on a girl of twelve who had congestion of the right lung setting in within a few hours of the anaesthesia (H. W., xxv. 64); and on a man, 30, who had blisters round his mouth, inside, on two occasions after being under gas; was troubled with drowsiness for weeks after, and had acneous spots on his face.
Others are from the observations of Mr. Silk (H. W., xxv. 462); and the rest are from provings recorded by Allen. Silk observed that females were very much more liable to ill effects than males.
One of his patients, an epileptic girl, otherwise healthy, when he removed the face-piece, struggled to get her hands up, and afterwards described her feelings as "pain in the forehead where the aura commenced." In one epileptic patient (not Mr. Silk's) a fit actually did occur. Rhythmic movement of the arms or legs is a common occurrence. One prover had his piles cured as an incidental result of his experiments.
Relations
Antidoted by: Bell. (?). Compare: Nit. ac. In congestion, Ver. v.
Mind
Unusual exaltation of mind; most agreeable sensations and fancies; involuntary desire to laugh
No command over himself
Mental torture beyond endurance
Mind extremely susceptible to suggestion
After the giddiness, rapid rush of thoughts; afterwards unconsciousness.
Head
On going into open air, vertigo and staggering to l
Giddiness after palpitation
A kind of waving of the head
Numb feeling on head, spreading thence over body, before the paroxysms
Aching in head and along spine as if they were asleep
Headache after return of consciousness.
Eyes
Widely dilated pupils
Pupils first dilated, later contracted
Protruding eyeballs.
Ears
On waking from unconsciousness, voices of others seemed to come from a great distance; or to be in a whisper.
Face
Face livid with unconsciousness
Face swollen
Blue lips, ears, face; afterwards face dusky
Acne
Jaws firmly clenched.
Mouth
Mouth and head feel numb, as though asleep
Eruption of blisters round mouth inside
Point of tongue thrust between teeth.
Throat
Weakness and feeling of constriction in throat; dysphagia.
Stomach
Pressure in epigastrium.—Nausea and vomiting on return of consciousness; next day a bilious attack.
Anus
(Haemorrhoidal pains from which he suffered entirely disappeared.)
Urinary Organs
Involuntary micturition.
Female Sexual Organs
Erotic movements and sexual illusions.—Anaesthesia in a nursing woman brought on a bilious attack next day, and the infant was made ill.
Respiratory Organs
Breathing: quick; thick and stertorous
Suffocative feeling
Cough with haemoptysis
Cough early morning.
Chest
Great pain at chest; cough with haemoptysis;
> hot applications to chest; it seemed as if something which was obstructing the chest dropped down into stomach
Sharp pain in front of chest, < lying on r. side
R. chest congested and dull on percussion.
Heart
Great lividity and tendency to faint (in a cardiac case).—Palpitation of heart, afterwards felt and heard in head.
Neck And Back
Tension in sides of neck in region of carotids
Drawing in neck, as though skin were contracted or cords shortened
Sensation of drawing in muscles, esp. lumbar muscles.
Generalities
In a patient suffering from valvular disease heart there was a more than usual degree of lividity during anaesthesia, and a tendency to syncope afterwards.—Rhythmic movement of arms or legs.—Opisthotonos, most common in females; much struggling.—Epileptic convulsion (in an epileptic) during the anaesthesia.—Pain in forehead where the aura commenced (in an epileptic under the gas).—Increased muscular rigor. Muscular weakness.—Muscular pains in joints revived.
Sleep
Sleepy
Drowsiness continued for weeks after the gas
Screamed whenever she fell asleep.
Fever
Coldness of feet and legs to knees between the paroxysms of consciousness
Fever every afternoon from 3 to 6
Delirium in evening
Face covered with perspiration after return of consciousness.