Observations placeholder

From Laughing gas – nitrous oxide – edited by Michael Shedlin and David Wallechinsky
Moses Thomas

Passing a leisure moment, the other evening, at the Washington hotel in sixth-street, for the taverns and coffee-houses of the days of Addison and Steele, are with us converted into inns and hotels, and happening to cast my eye over Relf's Philadelphia Gazette, I chanced to observe that Dr. Jones’s weekly lecture upon this interesting subject, was advertised for the last time this season.

I immediately called for my hat and cane, and sallied forth to procure a ticket, and to inquire for Harmony court, at the corner of which, it seems, the learned doctor exhibits his supernatural experiments.

The lecture room is an oblong of twenty feet by thirty, one end of which is separated from the physical apparatus, by a transverse writing-desk, behind which rise a dozen benches, in regular gradation, the entrance to which is barred across, to prevent the inhalers of the gas from too ready access to the ladies; who are advised, as they enter, to place themselves upon the hindmost seats - that they may be out of harms way. When the doctor has descanted, at sufficient length, upon the nature and properties of the nitrous oxide; and exhibited a number of unimportant experiments, to which very little attention is paid by his audience, who come rather to see - than to hear; he begins to perceive the impatience, particularly of the female part of the company, and he proposes to deliver ten or twelve tickets, regularly numbered, to so many young gentlemen who may have a mind to inhale the exhilarating gas. The pit is now cleared for action, and the first on the list, stepping eagerly forward (if he has ever taken it before) receives a large bladder, inflated with the proper portion of nitrous oxide.

On the present occasion the first practitioner was a fine youth of fifteen, who inhaled the gas with spirited avidity -- suddenly threw away the bag, with an air of triumphant distain, and began to march about the enclosure with theatric strides, until coming close up to the front row, he perceived that one of the persons who sat there held a cane athwart to defend himself from his too near approach. This offended his pride - he instantly burst into a paroxysm of rage:

"That tyrant!" says he, "seized my cane - deliver it to me! - this instant! - or - I'll be the death of youl"

At the same moment jumping over the desk, and grappling with the man who had the cane, he overturned everything that stood in his way, and it required the united efforts of four or five men to hold him down, till the effect of the gas ceased, and he turned round to the company with an air of good-humoured hilarity.