<P> Nitrous oxide has significant medical uses , especially in surgery and dentistry , for its anaesthetic and pain reducing effects . Its name `` laughing gas '' , coined by Humphry Davy , is due to the euphoric effects upon inhaling it , a property that has led to its recreational use as a dissociative anaesthetic . It is on the World Health Organization 's List of Essential Medicines , the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system . It also is used as an oxidizer in rocket propellants , and in motor racing to increase the power output of engines . </P>
what is the use of nitrous oxide in surgery
for its anaesthetic and pain reducing effects