"By taking the ether the other day I was convinced howOther writers explored drug-induced mystical experiences at greater length, notably William James.
far asunder a man could be separated from his senses""You expand like a seed in the ground. You exist in your roots, like a tree in winter. If you have an inclination to travel, take the ether: you go beyond the farthest star."
Ether has "abuse potential", like another former staple of dentistry, the local anaesthetic cocaine. If ether were a novel investigational agent today, then it would probably never gain a product license. But the main disadvantage of ether is that it is extremely flammable.