Photo credit: victoriancollections.net.au
The photo above is an example of a Victorian nitrous oxide gasometer.
Nitrous oxide, in its chemical state, is oxidized nitrogen, but it is more commonly know as laughing gas. It is used as an anaesthetic in surgery, especially dentistry, to relieve the pain of a patient while still allowing them to be conscious. Although this use of nitrogen oxide was first discovered in 1772, it was not widely used in dentistry until 1844, which was well into the Victorian Era. The original procedure when using nitrous oxide was to, "heat crystals of ammonium nitrate, collect the gas released in a green oiled-silk bag, pass it through water vapour to remove impurities and then inhale it through a mouthpiece" (The Nitrous Oxide Experiments). This discovery was incredibly helpful for the medical industry of the victorian era. Surgeons and dentists now had a way to reduce the pain of their patients while undergoing surgery, something that was previously incomprehensible.
