Researches Chemical and Philosophical

Davy, H. (1800) Researches Chemical and Philosophical, Chiefly Concerning Nitrous Oxide iutd its Respiration. J. Johnson, London. 

Davy s research was to make him famous, not because he performed dangerous experiments, but because he discovered a new recreational drug. In 1800 he published a 580-page book titled Researches, Chemical and Philosophical, Chiefly Concerning Nitrous Oxide, or Dephlogisticated Nitrous Air, and Its Respiration in which he discussed his discovery of, and researches on, laughing gas. Describing its effects, Davy wrote ... 

H. Davy, Researches Chemical and Philosophical, chiefly concerning Nitrous Oxide or Dephlogisticated Nitrous Air, and its Respiration, London, 1800 G. Kirsch, Zeit. phys. Ghent.,... 

C. Meiner, Recherches sur la decomposition thermique du protoxyde et de Voxyde d azote, Genfeve, 1926 J. Wiswald, Contribution d I etude de la recuperation des gaz nitreux, Genfeve, 1921 H. Davy, Researches Chemical and Philosophical chiefly concerning Nitrous Oxide or Dephlogisticated Nitrous Air, and its Respiration, London, 1800 H. B. Baker, Journ. Ohem. Soc., 65. 611, 1894 Ohem. News, 69. 270, 1894 F. Forster and A. Blich, Zeit. angew. Ohem., 28. 2017, 1910 F. Haber and W. Holwech, Zeit. Elektrochem., 16. 810, 1910. 

It is difficult to say how he gained his first notion of atoms, but I strongly suspect that Researches Chemical and Philosophical, published in i8ox,... gave him his first ideas. He had probably seen the works of the two Higginses, but I do not think he was acquainted with the views of Richter. Whatever came into his mind, from any source, he seemed always to consider his own property.. .. He was a very coarse experimenter and always found the results he required, trusting to his head rather than to his hands. ... 

Davy, Researches, Chemical and Philosophical chiefly concerning Nitrous Oxide, London, 1800 (not 1801 as Davy stated). 

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