​​​​​​Anesthesia: The First Drop

Thesis

On October 16, 1846, William T.G. Morton administered the first drop of sulfuric ether as a form of anesthesia while removing a vascular tumor from a patient's neck. Prior to Morton’s groundbreaking discovery, methods for keeping patients sedated and pain-free during surgery were inconsistent. As scientists continued to find new ways to numb surgical sites and sedate patients, anesthesia became a turning point in medical history to make surgery more effective and less excruciating.​​​​​​​