Important: Safety Warning
This page describes the casual use of chloroform, ether, or similar anesthetics. These substances can kill by respiratory arrest with little warning and must never be used outside a medical setting.
In addition, this page describes trade processes that use dangerously toxic materials such as cyanide solutions, mercury amalgams, or strong acids. These processes require training, equipment, and precautions far beyond what the text describes.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
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To Prepare Laughing Gas
Evaporate a solution of nitrate of ammonia until a drop of the fused mass placed on a cold plate instantly solidifies; cool, break the lump into pieces, and place it in a stoppered bottle. For use, a portion is introduced into a glass retort, and heat applied by means of a spirit lamp. As soon as the heat reaches 480° Fahr., protoxide of nitrogen is evolved, and may be collected in bladders, gas bags, a gasometer, or in the pneumatic trough over warm per precipitated in solution by ammonia, and the precipitate redissolved by an excess of ammonia, may be called ammoniurets of copper, but more correctly ammonio-sulphate, or ammonio-nitrate of copper.