History of Anesthetics

Around4000BC

 Treatment of toothache with henbane (Mesopotamia)

Around300BC

 Opium, henbane, and mandrake used as “soporific sponges” (Greece)

1540/1842

 Synthesis of ether (Germany) / Clinical application (U.S., U.K.)

1772/1799

 Discovery of nitrous oxide (U.K.) / Clinical application (U.K.)

1804

 World’s first breast cancer surgery using Tsusensan (Japan)

1805/1839

 Morphine extracted from opium (experiments conducted in dogs) / Clinical application of morphine

1831/1847

 Discovery of chloroform (U.S., Germany) / Clinical application (U.K.)

1846

 Neck tumor removal surgery using ether anesthesia (U.S.) ? T.G. Morton

1853

 Queen Victoria underwent painless childbirth with chloroform (anesthesia spread throughout Europe)

1862

 Clinical application of cocaine

1909

 Local anesthesia using procaine

1931

 Clinical application of pentobarbital (U.K.)

1956

 Clinical application of halothane

1966

 Clinical application of ketamine

1971

 Clinical application of isoflurane

1978

 Clinical application of sevoflurane