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Anesthesia - History and Origins


Anesthesia Milestones

YEAR MILESTONES
2700 BC Shen Nung the second Chinese emperor tested the effects of 300 drugs on himself and explained the narcotic properties of the Kemp plant.
1350 BC The soporific and aphrodisiac properties of the mandrake were well known among the Egyptian Pharaohs.
77 AD Dioscorides Pedanius a Greek physician in his fourth book of Materia Medica gave details about the various substances that induce anesthesia. He coined the term anesthesia meaning lack of sensation in Greek.
1037 Avicenna an Iranian philosopher and physician advocated that the most powerful stupefacient is opium
1460 Heinrich von Pfolsprundt, a German military surgeon was the first to give an account of the soporific sponge (a recipe that suppresses sensation of pain) used in the treatment of gunshots.
1665 Sir Christopher Wren an English Architect with the help of Robert Boyle was the first to infuse opium and perform intravenous anesthesia in dogs.
1765 Matthew Turner an English chemist and surgeon was the first person to produce and sell ether. He recommended inhalation of sulfuric ether as a treatment for headaches.
1772 Joseph Priestley an English chemist discovered nitrous oxide.
1786 Cornelius Celsus described in detail about the preparation of the anodyne pills in the 46th edition of the Roman encyclopedia.
1817 Friedrich Serturner a German apothecary coined the term morphine and also elucidated the narcotic properties of opium.
1834 Jean Baptiste Dumas a French chemist unraveled the chemical structure and coined the term chloroform.
1847 Marie Jean Pierre Flourens and Francois-Achille Longet reported the effects and mode of action of ether on the central nervous system.
1847 Sir James Young Simpson a Scottish physician introduced chloroform as an anesthetic agent during childbirth. Chloroform was first used on Queen Victoria, during her eighth delivery.
1847 Edward H. Barton at Vera Cruz, Mexico was the first to use sulfuric ether as the anesthetic agent for a leg amputation during wartime.
1856 John Snow, an English physician designed the chloroform inhaler, which delivered the anesthetic agent at optimum levels. He was the first to perform endotracheal anesthesia on a rabbit.
1860 Etienne Jules Marey a French physician discovered the sphygmograph. This device helped to record the pulse form on the forearm.
1870 Joseph T Clover an English surgeon improved the techniques of gas delivery and cautioned the physicians to monitor the vital signs.
1875 Claude Bernard a French physiologist Discovered the nerve muscle blocking action and the introduced the use of mixed anesthesia.
1878 Paul Bert the French physiologist along with the American surgeon Edmund W Andrews introduced nitrous oxide in Anesthesiology.
1907 Frederick J. Cotton and Walter M. Boothby invented an apparatus for the delivery of nitrous oxide, ether and oxygen.
1908 A.D Waller designs the chloroform balance, which determines the concentration of the vapor, received by the patient.
1910 Lincoln F. Sise invented the apparatus “introducer” for insertion of lumbar puncture needles.
1936 American society of Anesthetist was founded.
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