Humphrey Davy was as far from the idea of the stuffy scientist as it is possible to be, and it was his work on nitrous oxide which, I believe, best exemplifies his unique qualities. He began his experiments with the substance, known to many people as laughing gas, on Boxing Day in 1799, using himself as the subject. Davy inhaled an enormous amount of the gas—approximately twenty litres every five minutes. Under its influence, he experienced heightened perceptions of his surroundings. His hearing became extremely acute and objects became brighter; he had a feeling of extreme pleasure and delight in the world—a world which he described as being full of 'newly connected and modified ideas'. The experience had a profound impact on him, and he experimented further with the gas in an effort to expand his consciousness. In fact, he began to write poetry and philosophy following each experience. Davy would wander around the countryside near his home, making notes and inhaling from a silk bag of gas; he even encouraged strangers he met along the way to indulge. Yet, despite his deliberate efforts to transcend ordinary sensation during this time, Davy was still able to produce a rigorous 580-page monograph. on nitrous oxide and its effects. The report, a blend of objective science and subjective experience, became an influential text for the medical use of nitrous oxide in the future.