Amyl Nitrit

Formula, CjHuNO.^. Preparation for use, Dilution with alcohol.

Authorities.]' (Provings all made by olfaction.) 1, Bateman ; 2, Madden ; 3, Jones; 4, Goodhart ; 5, Blake; 6, Tick ; 7, W. P. Wesselhoeft ; 8, T. F. Allen ; 9, St. Clair Smith ; 10, Hugh M. Smith ; 11, G. L. Freeman.

Mind

Anxiety, as if something might happen ; must have fresh air

The throbbing in the head, and bursting-out feeling in the ears, and constriction of throat and heart, made me think I had taken too much, and from actual fright I ran to the window to breathe the fresh air

Complete obliviousness of recent conversation (in a few minutes)

Head

Confusion of head

After the throbbing and fulness of the head had passed away, it was followed by a confused, weak feeling and a weight in top of head, as though it would be crushed iu

Vertigo (rarely)

Vertigo (in three minutes)

vertigo (in a few seconds)

Giddiness (now and then)

Slight dizziness in the head (in two minutes)

Head seemed to swim around (in a second or two)

Feeling of intoxication

Girls who have inhaled it have often complained that it gave thein a headache

* Heat and throbbing in head

Feeling of intense fulness in the head (immediately)

Full, confused feeling in head, mostly frontal ; then a beating, throbbing, and bursting sensation

Heavy aching all through the head (in two minutes)

After all experiments, a dull aching remained in the head for more than thirty or forty minutes

Frontal humming

Slight perspiration over the forehead (immediately)

Perspiration broke out on forehead

Bursting in the forehead (in three minutes)

Throbbing in temples; visible pulsating

Could feel the temporal arteries throb distinctly

Sense of tension in temples

Vertical humming (in twenty-five seconds)

Sensation of something rushing upwards and throbbing in vertex

Constriction, as if each parietal region was pressed in

Dull throbbing in sides and back of head

Throbbing in the occiput

After the weak feeling passed off, the arteries seemed to be numb along their course

Eyes

Under ophthalmoscope, the arteries of the optic disk were found small, while the veins were dilated and varicose

Under ophthalmoscope, the veins of the disk were seen to become enlarged, varicose, and tortuous ; the arteries small, but not abnormally so (from 5 minims)

Dull heaviness over eyebrows

ConjwictivoR bloodshot (in two minutes)

Dilated pupils

Sight very hazy ( in fifty seconds)

In full doses of 8 or 10 drops, the sight becomes impaired slightly, and the outline of objects hazy and indistinct

Primrose halo, even with the eyes closed and shaded

Objects begin to look yellow

Protruding, staring eyes

Ears

Burning of the ears

Much fhrobbi)ig in ears (in two minutes)

Ears begin to throb (in a second or two)

Beating behind ears

Sensation of a piston working up and down in the ears (in thirty seconds)

Bursting sensation in ears, as though the membrana tympani of each ear would be forced out with each beat of the heart

Nose

Pressure over root of nose

t 1, Jahresberioht d Dresden Gesellschaft, etc., 1871 ; 2, " Practitioner 9, 3.31 ; 3, " Practitioner 7, 213 ; 4, " Practitioner vol. G, 12, seven experiments ; 5, Month. Horn. Kev., 1871, five experiments; 6, Monograph, Berlin, 1874; 7 to 11, provings in MS , made by olfaction, as were all the other experiments.

Face p. 310

Face scarlet (immediately)

Deep facial flush (in twenty-five seoou(ls)

* Flushing of the face (iu thirty to forty seconds)

Face much flushed

A bright florid flush spread over his face (in a few seconds)

Flushing oj the face, followed by turgidity of the facial veins

The flu!>hiiig of the face did not commonly appear till from fifteen to thirty seconds after the commencement of the inhalation/.

Intense surgiiuj of blood to face and head

Face, at first intensely red, after the effects began to pass off became very pale

Face at first very red ; a few minutes alter, pale

Face became intensely red and hot ; this came up and subsided like a wave ; on passing off, the face became paler than usual

Heat and redness of face

Great heat and redness of face, with sensation as though the blood would start through the skin, with lachrymation

Warmth of ■Jiace

Throat p. 310

Choking feeling in throat, on each side of the trachea, along the carotids ; feeling of constriction

The collar seemed too tight, with desire to loosen it

Tickling in throat

Stomach p. 310

Nausea

Slight nausea

Slight uncomfortable feeling in stomach

Constriction and pressure over precordial region, as though he wants to rub it

Respiratory Organs p. 310

The feeling of constriction in throat extended to chest, and produced dyspncea and asthmatic feeling in larynx and trachea, with desire to eructate

Peculiar sensation of choking

The respirations were not altered in frequency, but in all cases great inclination to cough was experienced, with an indescribable feeling of fulness about the chest

Cough and bronchial irritation

Much cough (in fifty seconds)

Involuntary coughing (in two minutes)

Breathing 24, from 20 (iu two minutes)

Normal respiration, 18; after ninety seconds, 20; after one hundred and fifty seconds

Normal respiration, 16 ; after ninety seconds, 20; after one hundred and fifty seconds

Respiration much easier and deeper, apparently dependent on dilatation of the bronchi (inhalation of 1 drop)

Accelerated respiration

Desire to sigh convulsively (iu thirty seconds)

Slight dyspnoea, with inclination to cough (immediately)

It sometimes causes a little breathlessness and coughing

Chest p. 310

Vital capacity (spirometric) of the lungs not increased nor diminished (average of large number of experiments)

Sensation as if the anterior wall of the thorax were swelled out to a convex shape, and the lower end of the sternum made a deep depression, bent in towards the spine (without objective signs of contraction of diaphragm or abdominal muscles), I

* Pr8cordial anxiety (in thirty seconds)

Heart and Pulse p. 310

* The heating of the heart and of the carotids is, in some persons, very marked

Accelerated heart-action (m thirty seconds)

Increased frequency of cardiac pulsation

Cardiac oppression and tumultuous heart-action (in a few minutes)

Tumultuous heartaction

* Pain and constriction around heart; an aching pain

The aching pain and constriction of the heart continued more or less for at least three weeks, when it was relieved after taking Cactus grand.

Dull pain in heart

(Pulse not markedly affected,*.)

In all cases, the pulse was invariably the first function to show any indication of the action of the drug. Generally, in from three to ten seconds, the beats were much increased in frequency. The pulse-beats often rose from 70 to the rate of 160 per minute in a few seconds, quickly subsiding again as the drug was left off", but nearly always remaining somewhat irregular

When sphygits action, the up stroke produced by the contracting ventricle was almost imperceptible, giving unpleasant visions of approaching syncope. This feature was apparently due to the excessive rapidity of the heart's action, and was succeeded, in a very few beats, by a sudden and jerking impulse, which gave no positive indication of anything more than an exaggeration of normal conditions

The sphjgmograpliic pulse-curve ends ani/)tty in a very sudden doivn faU

Frequency of pulse rapidly increases (in eight to twelve seconds)

Accelerated pulse; 96 to 136 ; in one minute, small ; in two minutes, full ; three minutes, very full

A pulse of 20, in a quarter of a minute, will often rise, in ten or fifteen seconds, to 40

Pulse rose from 66 (normal) to 114 (inhalation of 3 drops)

Pulse rose from 72 (normal) to 128; returned, in two minutes, to normal. (The face became very red)

Pulse 136, regular (normal, 54), (in two minutes)

Pulse 80, very irregular (in four minutes)

Pulse 72, more regular (in seven minutes)

Pulse 80, regular (in thirty-one minutes)

Pulse 65 (in half a minute)

Pulse 72, irregular (in four minutes)

Pulse 64 (in twenty-three minutes)

Pulse decreased 64 beats (from 168 to 104), (in two minutes)

Pulse 80 (in seven minutes)

Pulse 160, from 120 (in thirty seconds)

Pulse 104, from 84 (in ten seconds)

Pulse 96, from 84 (in two minutes)

Pulse 84, very irregular (in eight minutes)

Pulse at rate of 108 per minute, from 84 (in five seconds)

Pulse at rate of 120, from 84 (in ten seconds)

Pulse 144 (in fifteen seconds), from 84

Pulse 84, very irregular (in two minutes)

Pulse 84, regular (in three minutes and fifty seconds)

Normal pulse, 60; after ninety seconds, 130 ; after one hundred and fifty seconds

Normal pulse, 64 ; after ninety seconds, 106 ; after one hundred and fifty seconds, 68,1

Pulse at first slow and very strong; afterwards, quicker and jerking

Neck and Back p. 311

Warmth of neck

Extremities in General p. 311

* Tired feeling of limbs

Muscular tremor of arms (in two minutes)

* Tremulousness of hands and stiffness and slight numbness of fingers

While writing, hand so tired that he can hardly hold the pen, with crampy feeling in wrist and thumb, which is sometimes difficult to overcome ; the thumb seems to grasp the pen so tight that it is difficult to guide it (it is now over fifteen minutes, and the effect is still very strong)

Generalities p. 311

The muscles generally seemed relaxed and heavy ; this caused a sensation of unsteadiness while walking (inhalation of 1 drop)

The blood-pressure is diminished

Slight feeling of lassitude (in seven minutes)

After all experiments, a feeling of lassitude remained behind for thirty or forty minutes

General relaxed, weak feeling over the whole body

Weak feeling all over the body

Uncertain, trembling sensation over whole body

Fever p. 311

Warmth, often general

Temperature 97.9°, from 97.7° (immediately)

Temperature 98.1° (in four minutes)

Perspiration, often general