Nitrous oxide or laughing gas was discovered in 1775 and encouraged further experimentation into inhalants by chemist Humphry Davy. It would not be until the 1830s that chloroform was discovered. It become a wildly popular anesthetic for use during childbirth, but was soon abandoned for this purpose, because it could be fatally toxic. Ether had been around for a few hundred years, but it was not used for surgery until 1842. Dr. Crawford Williamson Long put a patient to sleep and removed a tumor for his neck. American poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. coined the term anesthesia during this era in a letter to one of its early adopters.

Modern Anesthesiology

After the initial successes and failures of experiments with general anesthesia, the support for further research exploded. The practice gradually expanded and improved, and it is still evolving today. Though there are still problems with the practice of anesthesia, it is miles away from ancient practices. Sometimes it is hard to recall that only a few hundred years ago, it was doubtful that pain could be eradicated for any patient undergoing surgery. Today, elective surgeries have become popular.

However, the high level of training needed for an anesthesiologist reflects the complicated nature of this science. Throughout its illustrious history, anesthesiology has expanded the way the human race thinks about pain and consciousness. Without the efforts of hundreds of generations, there would be no routine surgery today. Thanks to their work, modern humans can manage pain and extend their lives.

It has been a relatively short time since the first effective anesthesia was discovered. It is certain that many exciting advancements still lie ahead.

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