General anaesthesia redefined surgery

Dentist William Morton performed the first successful public test of a general anaesthetic in 1846. He first experimented on a hen, his dog, his goldfish, and himself before going to the Massachusetts General Hospital surgical theatre.

His concoction of sulfuric ether and oil from an orange (just for the fragrance) knocked a young man unconscious while a surgeon cut a tumour from his neck.

Today’s anaesthetic includes ether-based inhalants such as sevoflurane and isoflurane, and intravenous anaesthetic propofol.