PS268 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Inhalant, Google
Document Summary
Interesting information about the original inhalants ether and nitrous oxide (laughing gas) Ether was discovered in the early 1700s and it was quickly realized that it could be inhaled to produce anaesthesia, and that it could be inhaled recreationally. The problem with ether as an anaesthetic is that some people go into convulsions when they get the large doses necessary to render them unconscious. Ho(cid:449)e(cid:448)e(cid:396) at that ti(cid:373)e the(cid:396)e (cid:449)e(cid:396)e no other a(cid:374)aestheti(cid:272)s, so it (cid:449)as (cid:271)ette(cid:396) tha(cid:374) (cid:862)(cid:271)iti(cid:374)g the (cid:271)ullet(cid:863) As a (cid:858)pa(cid:396)t(cid:455) gas(cid:859) (cid:894)e. g. , at su(cid:271)-anaesthetic doses), ether produces a drunk-like feeling. Nitrous oxide (n2o for the chemists in the group) was discovered in the lae 1700s, and it was quickly reocnigzed to produce extreme outbursts of laughing in some(but not all) use(cid:396)s (cid:894)he(cid:374)(cid:272)e it(cid:859)s (cid:374)a(cid:373)e (cid:862)laughi(cid:374)g gas(cid:863)(cid:895) Be(cid:272)ause (cid:374)it(cid:396)ous o(cid:454)ide (cid:449)as fu(cid:374), people sta(cid:396)ted holdi(cid:374)g (cid:862)(cid:374)it(cid:396)ous o(cid:454)ide pa(cid:396)tieis(cid:863) Today, inhalants are bought or stolen at grocery stores and hardware stores.
