Boing Boing

Boing Boing

Victorian illustration depicting effects of laughing gas makes science look like a wild party

Popkin
Jun 18, 2025
∙ Paid

In the age before warning labels and liability waivers, scientific experimentation often looked like something between a séance and a rave. Case in point: this glorious 1807 illustration from a University of Pennsylvania dissertation titled "The Effects of Breathing Nitrous Oxide," unearthed by the ever-fascinating Public Domain Review.

From The PDR:

The …

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Boing Boing.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
Popkin's avatar
A guest post by
Popkin
Boing Boing contributor
Subscribe to Popkin
© 2026 Happy Mutants LLC · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture