Journal of clinical anesthesia
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Review Historical Article
Nitrous or nitric? Same difference. Molecular formulas in the 1840s.
The molecular formulas given by James Y. Simpson for nitrous oxide, diethyl ether, and chloroform are difficult to interpret today. ⋯ The nitrous oxide formula was incorrect owing to confusion with Dalton's nitrous gas, now termed nitric oxide. The Simpson formulas illustrate that inhaled anesthesia arrived at the time of a cusp in the history of chemistry.