Injecting this agent into the spinal canal in the lower lumbar section of the spinal cord region resulted in this section getting paralysed and pain free. This lead to the discovery in 1898 of spinal anaesthesia. It routine use became established only when August Bier subjected himself to a clinical experiment in which he observed the anesthetic effect, after but not introduced into clinical practice until 1899, when August Bier decided to inject the drug himself and observe its anesthetic effect.
During this time doctors realized the importance of monitoring the pulse and Blood Pressure during anaesthesia.
Epidural anaesthesia - Is a variant of spinal anesthesia where the local anesthetic is instilled in the epidural space of the spinal cord. Though first discovered in 1901, the epidural anesthesia first success came from Spain in 1921.
It became popular for painless childbirth and liberating women from labor pains. However 80 years later this routine practice is now being questioned and not considered safe either for the baby or the mother.