Anesthesia Introduced: Surgery Without Pain Transforms Medicine
Crawford W. Long administered ether to remove a tumor in 1842, proving surgery could proceed without pain. He delayed publishing until 1849, allowing William T.G. Morton to claim the first public demonstration three years later. This shift transformed medicine from a terrifying ordeal into a manageable procedure, enabling complex operations that previously killed patients through shock and suffering.
March 30, 1842
184 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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