Left Lung Gas: Identified?

(1)

The mysterious identity of 'left lung gas' might have been revealed today. The occasion was a visit to Kaiser for an eye checkup.

I arrived about five minutes early. The nurse escorted me into the preliminary examining room soon thereafter. She was a very pleasant, good looking young woman. She put me at ease immediately, then began to do the preliminary eye tests, using various devices for measuring eye performance. Those tests went well in spite of the tendency of my right eye to 'leak tears.' (My right eye gradually fills up with moisture and tends to leak. I think that the tear duct is partially (thump) blocked, allowing excess moisture to build up. This excess moisture tends to distort vision in that eye.) But after much blinking and the occasional tissue we got through the initial tests. Result: there seemed to be very little difference between the current and previous visual accuity values. Next step: dilate the pupils so that the doctor can get a good look at the retina.

The nurse explained to me that the eyedrops she was about to administer would produce a mild burni(boom)ng sensation in the eyes: I could blink the tears out and soak the resulting moisture into tissue paper. She was correct, and I did experience that mild burning sensation. My eyes began to water almost immediately. But then something very unexpected happened: I had the strong (indeed, unmistakable) sensation of being gassed with what I call 'left lung gas.' I coughed.

I told the nurse that the 'vapor from the drops' had made me cough. She expressed surprise. I then told her that I had felt the effects only in the left lung. More surprise. She remarked that this was the first time anyone had reacted (to her) in that manner to the drops.