Ether anesthesia was first used. History of anesthesiology. Anesthesia in Russia before the discovery of ether anesthesia

The history of anesthesia is inextricably linked with the history of surgery. The elimination of pain during the operation dictated the need to undertake a search for methods to solve this issue.

Surgeons of the ancient world tried to find methods of adequate pain relief. It is known that for these purposes compression of blood vessels in the neck and bloodletting were used. However, the main direction of research and the main method of anesthesia for thousands of years was the introduction of various intoxicating substances. In the ancient Egyptian papyrus Ebers, which dates back to the 2nd millennium BC, there is the first mention of the use of substances that reduce pain before surgery. For a long time, surgeons used various infusions, extracts of opium, belladonna, Indian hemp, mandrakes, and alcoholic beverages. Hippocrates was probably the first to use inhalation anesthesia. There is evidence that he inhaled cannabis vapor for the purpose of pain relief. The first attempts to use local anesthesia also date back to ancient times. In Egypt, Memphis stone (a type of marble) was rubbed into the skin with vinegar. As a result, carbon dioxide was released, and local cooling occurred. For the same purpose, local cooling with ice, cold water, compression and constriction of the limb were used. Of course, these methods could not provide good pain relief, but for lack of a better one, they were used for thousands of years.

In the Middle Ages, “sleepy sponges” began to be used for pain relief, it was a kind of inhalation anesthesia. The sponge was soaked with a mixture of opium, henbane, mulberry juice, lettuce, hemlock, mandrake, and ivy. After that, it was dried. During the operation, the sponge was moistened, and the patient inhaled the vapors. There are other ways to use "sleepy sponges": they were burned, and patients inhaled the smoke, sometimes chewed it.

In Russia, surgeons also used "ball", "afian", "medicinal glue". "Rezalnikov" of that time was not represented without "uspicheskie" means. All these drugs had the same origin (opium, hemp, mandrake). In the 16-18 centuries, Russian doctors widely used lulling to sleep for the duration of the operation. Rectal anesthesia also appeared at that time; opium was injected into the rectum, tobacco enemas were performed. Under such anesthesia, hernia reduction was performed.

Although it is believed that anesthesiology was born in the 19th century, many discoveries were made long before that and served as the basis for the development of modern methods of pain relief. Interestingly, the ether was discovered long before the 19th century. In 1275, Lullius discovered "sweet vitriol" - ethyl ether. However, its analgesic effect was studied by Paracelsus three and a half centuries later. In 1546 ether was synthesized in Germany by Cordus. However, it began to be used for anesthesia three centuries later. It is impossible not to recall the fact that the first intubation of the trachea, however, in the experiment, was performed by A. Vesalius.

All methods of anesthesia used until the middle of the 19th century did not give the desired effect, and operations often turned into torture or ended in the death of the patient. The example given by S. S. Yudin, described back in 1636 by Daniel Becker, allows us to imagine the surgery of that time.

“A German peasant accidentally swallowed a knife and the doctors of the University of Koenigsberg, making sure that the patient’s strength allowed the operation, decided to do it, giving the victim a “pain-relieving Spanish balm” beforehand. With a large gathering of doctors, students and members of the medical board, they started gastrostomy surgery. After praying to God, the patient was tied to a board; the dean marked with charcoal the place of the incision four transverse fingers long, two fingers below the ribs and retreating to the left of the navel to the width of the palm. After that, the surgeon Daniel Schwabe opened the abdominal wall with a lithotome. Half an hour passed, fainting set in, and the patient was again untied and tied to the board. Attempts to stretch the stomach with forceps failed; finally, they hooked it with a sharp hook, passed a ligature through the wall and opened it at the direction of the dean. The knife was removed "to the applause of those present." In London, in one of the hospitals, a bell still hangs in the operating room, which they rang so that the cries of the sick could not be heard.

William Morton is considered the father of anesthesia. It is on his monument in Boston that it is written "BEFORE HIM, surgery was agony at all times." However, disputes continue to this day, who discovered anesthesia - Wells or Morton, Hickman or Long. For the sake of justice, it should be noted that the discovery of anesthesia is due to the work of many scientists and was prepared in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The development of the capitalist formation led to the rapid development of science and a number of great scientific discoveries. Significant discoveries that laid the foundation for the development of anesthesia were made in the 18th century. Priestley and Schele discovered oxygen in 1771. A year later, Priestley discovered nitrous oxide, and in 1779 Ingen-House ethylene. These discoveries gave a significant impetus to the development of anesthesia.

Nitrous oxide initially attracted the attention of researchers as a gas that has a cheerful and intoxicating effect. Watts even designed a nitrous oxide inhaler in 1795. In 1798, Humphry Davy established its analgesic effect and introduced it into medical practice. He also designed a gas machine for "laughing gas". It has long been used as a means of entertainment at musical evenings. The English surgeon Henry Hill Hickman continued to study the analgesic effect of nitrous oxide. He injected animals into the lungs with nitrous oxide, achieved their complete insensitivity, and under this anesthesia performed incisions, amputation of the ears and limbs. Hickman's merit also lies in the fact that he formulated the idea of anesthesia as a defense against surgical aggression. He believed that the task of anesthesia was not only to eliminate pain, but also to correct other negative effects of the operation on the body. Hickman actively promoted anesthesia, but his contemporaries did not understand him. At the age of 30, he died in a state of mental depression.

In parallel, studies of other substances were carried out. In 1818, in England, Faraday published materials on the analgesic effect of ether. In 1841, the chemist C. Jackson tested this on himself.

If we adhere to historical truth, then the first anesthesia was not carried out by V. Morton. On May 30, 1842, Long used anesthesia to remove a head tumor, but he was unable to appreciate his discovery and published his material only ten years later. There is evidence that Pope had a tooth extracted under ether anesthesia several months earlier. The first operation using nitrous oxide was performed at the suggestion of Horace Wells. Dentist Riggs, under anesthesia with nitrous oxide, which was given by Colton, on December 11, 1844, pulled out a healthy tooth for Wells. Wells spent 15 anesthesia during the extraction of teeth. However, his fate was tragic. During an official demonstration of anesthesia by Wells in front of surgeons in Boston, the patient almost died. Anesthesia with nitrous oxide was discredited for many years, and H. Wells committed suicide. Only a few years later, Wells' merit was recognized by the French Academy of Sciences.

The official birth date of anesthesiology is October 16, 1846. It was on this day at the Boston Hospital that surgeon John Warren, under ether anesthesia given by W. Morton, removed a vascular tumor in the submandibular region. It was the first demonstration of anesthesia. But the first anesthesia V. Morton produced a little earlier. At the suggestion of the chemist C. Jackson, on August 1, 1846, under ether anesthesia (the ether was inhaled from a handkerchief), he removed a tooth. After the first demonstration of ether anesthesia, C. Jackson informed the Paris Academy about his discovery. In January 1847, the French surgeons Malgen and Velpo, using ether for anesthesia, confirmed the positive results of its use. After that, ether anesthesia was widely used.

Our compatriots also did not stand aside from such a fateful discovery for surgery as anesthesia. Ya. A. Chistovich published in 1844 in the newspaper "Russian invalid" an article "On the amputation of the thigh by means of sulfuric ether." True, it turned out to be unappreciated and forgotten by the medical community. However, for the sake of justice, Ya. A. Chistovich should be put on a par with the names of the discoverers of anesthesia, W. Morton, H. Wells.

It is officially considered that F. I. Inozemtsev was the first to use anesthesia in Russia in February 1847. However, somewhat earlier, in December 1846, N. I. Pirogov in St. Petersburg performed an amputation of the mammary gland under ether anesthesia. At the same time, V. B. Zagorsky believed that “L. Lyakhovich (a native of Belarus) was the first in Russia to use ether for anesthesia during operations.”

The third substance that was used in the initial period of the development of anesthesia was chloroform. It was discovered in 1831 independently by Suberan (England), Liebig (Germany), Gasriet (USA). The possibility of using it as an anesthetic was discovered in 1847 in France by Flourens. Priority for the use of chloroform anesthesia was given to James Simpson, who reported on its use on November 10, 1847. An interesting fact is that N. I. Pirogov used chloroform for anesthesia twenty days after D. Simpson's message. However, the first to use chloroform anesthesia were Sedillo in Strasbourg and Bell in London.

In the second half of the 19th century, after the first attempts to use various types of anesthesia, anesthesiology began to develop rapidly. An invaluable contribution was made by N. I. Pirogov. He actively introduced ether and chloroform anesthesia. N. I. Pirogov, on the basis of experimental studies, published the world's first monograph on anesthesia. He also studied the negative properties of anesthesia, some complications, believed that for the successful use of anesthesia, it is necessary to know its clinical picture. N. I. Pirogov created a special apparatus for "etherization" (for ether anesthesia).

He was the first in the world to apply anesthesia in military field conditions. The merit of Pirogov in anesthesiology is that he stood at the origins of the development of endotracheal, intravenous, rectal anesthesia, spinal anesthesia. In 1847 he applied the introduction of ether into the spinal canal.

The following decades were marked by the improvement of anesthesia methods. In 1868, Andrews began using nitrous oxide mixed with oxygen. This immediately led to the widespread use of this type of anesthesia.

Chloroform anesthesia was initially used quite widely, but high toxicity was quickly revealed. A large number of complications after this type of anesthesia prompted surgeons to abandon it in favor of ether.

Simultaneously with the discovery of anesthesia, a separate specialty, anesthesiology, began to emerge. John Snow (1847), a Yorkshire physician who practiced in London, is considered the first professional anesthesiologist. It was he who first described the stages of ether anesthesia. One interesting fact from his biography. For a long time, the use of anesthesia during childbirth was held back by religious dogmas. Church fundamentalists believed that this was contrary to the will of God. In 1857, D. Snow performed chloroform anesthesia on Queen Victoria at the birth of Prince Leopold. After that, anesthesia for childbirth was accepted by everyone unquestioningly.

In the middle of the 19th century, the foundations of local anesthesia were laid. It has already been mentioned above that the first attempts at local anesthesia by cooling, pulling the limb, using the “Memphis” stone were made in ancient Egypt. In more recent times, this anesthesia was used by many surgeons. Ambroise Pare even created special devices with pads to compress the sciatic nerve. The chief surgeon of Napoleon's army, Larey, performed amputations, achieving anesthesia with cooling. The discovery of anesthesia did not lead to the cessation of work on the development of methods of local anesthesia. A fateful event for local anesthesia was the invention of hollow needles and syringes in 1853. This made it possible to inject various drugs into tissues. The first drug used for local anesthesia was morphine, which was administered in close proximity to the nerve trunks. Attempts were made to use other drugs - chloroform, soponium glycoside. However, this was very quickly abandoned, since the introduction of these substances caused irritation and severe pain at the injection site.

Significant success was achieved after the Russian scientist Professor of the Medical and Surgical Academy V.K. Anrep discovered the local anesthetic effect of cocaine in 1880. First, it began to be used for pain relief in ophthalmic operations, then in otolaryngology. And only after being convinced of the effectiveness of anesthesia in these branches of medicine, surgeons began to use it in their practice. A. I. Lukashevich, M. Oberst, A. Beer, G. Brown and others made a great contribution to the development of local anesthesia. A. I. Lukashevich, M. Oberst developed the first methods of conduction anesthesia in the 90s. In 1898 Beer proposed spinal anesthesia. Infiltration anesthesia was proposed in 1889 by Reclus. The use of cocaine local anesthesia was a significant step forward, however, the widespread use of these methods quickly led to disappointment. It turned out that cocaine has a pronounced toxic effect. This circumstance prompted a search for other local anesthetics. The year 1905 became historic, when Eichhorn synthesized novocaine, which is still used today.

Since the second half of the 19th and the entire 20th century, anesthesiology has developed rapidly. Many methods of general and local anesthesia have been proposed. Some of them did not live up to expectations and were forgotten, others are used to this day. It should be noted the most important discoveries that determined the face of modern anesthesiology.

1851-1857 - C. Bernard and E. Pelikan conduct experimental research on curare.

1863 Mr. Green proposed the use of morphine for premedication.

1869 - Tredelenberg performs the first endotracheal anesthesia in the clinic.

1904 - N. P. Kravko and S. P. Fedorov proposed non-inhalation intravenous anesthesia with hedonal.

1909 - they also offer combined anesthesia.

1910 - Lilienthal performs the first tracheal intubation using a laryngoscope.

1914 - Krail proposed the use of local anesthesia in combination with anesthesia.

1922 - A. V. Vishnevsky developed a method of tight creeping infiltrate.

1937 - Guadel proposes a classification of the stages of anesthesia.

1942 - Griffith and Johnson conduct combined anesthesia with curare.

1950 - Bigolow proposes artificial hypothermia and Enderby artificial hypotension.

1957 - Highward-Butt introduces ataralgesia into clinical practice.

1959 - Gray proposes multicomponent anesthesia and De Ka

strict neuroleptanalgesia.

A significant contribution to the development of anesthesiology was made by domestic surgeons A. N. Bakulev, A. A. Vishnevsky, E. N. Meshalkin, B. V. Petrovsky, A. M. Amosov and others. Thanks to their work, new methods of anesthesia were developed, modern anesthetic equipment was created.

Discovery of the intoxicating effect of gases

In 1800, Devi discovered the peculiar action of nitrous oxide, calling it "laughing gas." In 1818, Faraday discovered the intoxicating and debilitating effect of diethyl ether. Devi and Faraday suggested the possibility of using these gases for pain relief during surgical operations.

First operation under anesthesia

In 1844, the dentist G. Wells used nitrous oxide for anesthesia, and he himself was the patient during the extraction (removal) of the tooth. In the future, one of the pioneers of anesthesiology suffered a tragic fate. During public anesthesia with nitrous oxide, conducted in Boston by G. Wells, the patient almost died during the operation. Wells was ridiculed by his colleagues and soon committed suicide at the age of 33.

It should be noted that the very first operation under anesthesia (ether) was performed back in 1842 by the American surgeon Long, but he did not report his work to the medical community.

Birth date of anesthesiology

In 1846, the American chemist Jackson and dentist Morton showed that inhalation of diethyl ether vapors turns off consciousness and leads to loss of pain sensitivity, and proposed the use of diethyl ether for tooth extraction.

On October 16, 1846, in a Boston hospital, 20-year-old patient Gilbert Abbott, Harvard University professor John Warren removed a tumor in the submandibular region under anesthesia (!) The patient was anesthetized with diethyl ether by dentist William Morton. This day is considered the birth date of modern anesthesiology, and October 16 is annually celebrated as the day of the anesthesiologist.

The first anesthesia in Russia

On February 7, 1847, the first operation in Russia under ether anesthesia was performed by Professor of Moscow University F.I. Foreigners. An important role in the development of anesthesiology in Russia was also played by A.M. Filomafitsky and N.I. Pirogov.

V. Robinson, author of one of the most informative books on the history of anesthesiology, wrote: “Many pioneers of pain relief were mediocre. As a result of random circumstances, they had a hand in this discovery. Their quarrels and petty envy left an unpleasant mark on science. But there are figures of a larger scale who participated in this discovery, and among them, N.I. Pirogov.

In 1847, five years earlier than it was done in the West, he experimentally applied anesthesia through an incision in the trachea. Only 30 years later, a special tube was created, which was first introduced into the trachea of a patient, i.e. performed endotracheal anesthesia. Later this method became widespread.

N.I. Pirogov applied anesthesia on the battlefield. This happened in 1847, when he personally performed 400 operations under ether and 300 under chloroform anesthesia in a short time. N.I. Pirogov operated on the wounded in the presence of others in order to inspire confidence in surgical care with anesthesia. Summing up his experience, he argued: “Russia, ahead of Europe, shows the entire enlightened world not only the possibility of using, but also the undeniably beneficial effect of ethering on the wounded on the battlefield itself. We hope that from now on, the ethereal device, just like the surgical knife, will be the necessary accessory of every doctor during his action on the battlefield ... "

The use of ether

Ether as an anesthetic was first used also in dental practice. Ether anesthesia was used by American doctor Jackson and dentist Morton. On the advice of Jackson, on October 16, 1846, Morton first used the inhalation of ether vapors for pain relief during tooth extraction. Having obtained favorable results in the extraction of teeth under ether anesthesia, Morton suggested that Boston surgeon John Warren try ether anesthesia for large operations. Warren removed a neck tumor under ether anesthesia, and Warren's assistant amputated the breast gland. In October-November 1846, Warren and his assistants performed a number of major operations under ether anesthesia: resection of the lower jaw, amputation of the thigh. In all these cases, inhalation of ether gave complete pain relief.

Within 2 years, ether anesthesia entered the practice of surgeons in different countries. One of the first countries where surgeons began to widely use ether anesthesia was Russia. The leading Russian surgeons of that time (in Moscow F. I. Inozemtsev, in St. Petersburg N. I. Pirogov) in 1847 began to produce anesthesia during operations. In the same 1847, N. I. Pirogov was the first in the world to use ether anesthesia when rendering assistance to the wounded on the battlefield during the battles near Salt (Dagestan). “Russia, ahead of Europe,” wrote N. I. Pirogov, “shows the entire enlightened world not only the possibility of application, but the undeniable beneficial effect of efproving the wounded on the battlefield itself.”

Foreign surgeons limited themselves to the empirical use of ether anesthesia. In France, for example, in pursuit of profit, doctors began to widely use anesthesia at home for patients, without taking into account the general condition of the patient, as a result of which, in a number of cases, anesthesia caused complications and death of the patient. Domestic scientists led by A. M. Filomafitsky and N. I. Pirogov scientifically studied the effect of narcotic drugs.

At the suggestion of A. M. Filomafitsky, a commission was established, which, through experiments on animals and observations on humans, clarified the main questions concerning the effect of ether anesthesia.

In 1847, the French physiologist Fluurance drew attention to chloroform, discovered by Soubeyran in 1830. Using Fluurance's instructions, the English surgeon and obstetrician Simpsoy experimented with chloroform, proving its superiority as an anesthetic over sulfuric ether.

Facts from the history of anesthesia:

In the manuscripts of ancient times and later in the Middle Ages, it is mentioned that anesthesia was carried out with the help of "sleepy sponges" as a means of inhalation anesthesia. Their composition was kept secret. The sponge recipe was found in the 9th century Wamberger collection of antidote recipes (Antidotarium) (Sigerist, 800, Bavaria). In Italy, Sudhoff (860) found a recipe for sleeping sponge in the codex of Monte Cassino. It was made like this: a sponge was soaked with a mixture of opium, henbane, mulberry juice (mulberry), lettuce, speckled hemlock, mandrake, ivy, and then dried. When the sponge was moistened, the fumes that were produced were inhaled by the sick. They also resorted to burning a sponge and inhaling its vapors (smoke); the sponge was moistened, its contents were squeezed out and taken orally or sucked on the moistened sponge.

The Middle Ages gave rise to the idea of both general and local anesthesia. True, some of the techniques and methods of those times cannot be seriously considered from today's positions. For example, the "method of general anesthesia" by hitting a heavy object on the head was widespread.

As a result of a concussion, the patient fell into an unconscious state and remained indifferent to the manipulations of the surgeon. Fortunately, this method has not received further distribution. Also, in the Middle Ages, the idea of rectal anesthesia arose - tobacco enemas.

In the operating room of one of the London hospitals, a bell has been preserved to this day, with the sounds of which they tried to drown out the cries of the unfortunate ones undergoing surgical intervention.

For example, here is a description of a severe operation in the 17th century on a patient who swallowed a knife.

“On June 21, 1635, they were convinced that the analysis reported to the sick was not a figment of fantasy and that the patient’s strength allowed the operation, they decided to do it, giving “analgesic Spanish balm.” On July 9, with a large gathering of doctors, we started gastronomy. Having prayed to God, the patient was tied to a board: the dean marked with charcoal the places of the incision four transverse fingers long, two fingers below the ribs and retreating to the left of the navel to the width of the palm. The surgeon opened the abdominal wall with a ligotome. Half an hour passed, fainting set in, and the patient was again untied and again tied to the board. Attempts to remove the stomach with tweezers failed; finally, they hooked it, passed a ligature through the wall and opened it at the direction of the dean. The knife was drawn to the applause of those present.”

October 16, 1846 - the beginning of modern anesthesiology. On this day in the Boston Hospital (USA), Professor of Harvard University John Warren removed a tumor in the submandibular region. The patient was anesthetized with ether by dentist William Morton, who was present at Wells' public demonstration. The operation was a success, in complete silence, without the usual heartbreaking screams.

As soon as ether anesthesia was recognized as the leading discovery, a litigation for its priority began, which lasted for 20 years and led the people concerned to death and ruin. H. Wells committed suicide, chemistry professor W. Jackson ended up in a lunatic asylum, and ambitious W. Morton, who spent all his fortune fighting for priority and patented ether as an anesthetic, became a pauper at the age of 49.

Almost simultaneously with ether, chloroform was discovered. Its anesthetic properties were discovered by obstetrician J. Simpson. Once, having inhaled chloroform vapors in the laboratory, he, along with an assistant, suddenly found himself on the floor. Simpson was not at a loss: when he came to his senses, he happily announced that he had found a remedy for pain relief in childbirth. Simpson reported his discovery to the Medical Society of Edinburgh, and the first publication on the use of chloroform anesthesia appeared on November 18, 1847.

As already mentioned, the official date of birth of general anesthesia is October 16, 1846. What was the surprise of the research scientists when in two sources they found an indication that in the newspaper "Russian invalid" in 1844 an article by Ya.A. Chistovich "About the amputation of the thigh by means of sulfuric ether".

But, even leaving the priority of the discovery of ether anesthesia to the stubborn and ambitious Morton, we pay tribute to Russian doctors.

The discovery of anesthesia should be attributed to the greatest achievements of the nineteenth century. Mankind will always reverently name the pioneers of anesthesia, including Russian scientists.

“The surgeon's knife and pain are inseparable from each other! Making surgeries painless is a dream that will never come true!” - the famous French surgeon A. Velno claimed at the end of the 17th century. But he was wrong.

The variety of anesthetics and methods of their application allows to carry out operations of various times. Areas that were previously completely inaccessible became available to surgeons, and the beginning of this was laid 200 years ago.

Who invented anesthesia and why? Since the birth of medical science, doctors have been trying to solve an important problem: how to make surgical procedures as painless as possible for patients? With severe injuries, people died not only from the consequences of the injury, but also from the experienced pain shock. The surgeon had no more than 5 minutes to perform the operations, otherwise the pain became unbearable. The Aesculapius of antiquity were armed with various means.

In ancient Egypt, crocodile fat or alligator skin powder was used as an anesthetic. One of the ancient Egyptian manuscripts, dated 1500 BC, describes the analgesic properties of the opium poppy.

In ancient India, doctors used substances based on Indian hemp to obtain painkillers. Chinese physician Hua Tuo, who lived in the 2nd century BC. AD, offered patients to drink wine with the addition of marijuana before the operation.

Anesthesia methods in the Middle Ages

Who invented anesthesia? In the Middle Ages, the miraculous effect was attributed to the root of the mandrake. This plant from the nightshade family contains potent psychoactive alkaloids. Drugs with the addition of an extract from the mandrake had a narcotic effect on a person, clouded the mind, dulled the pain. However, the wrong dosage could lead to death, and frequent use caused drug addiction. The analgesic properties of mandrake for the first time in the 1st century AD. described by the ancient Greek philosopher Dioscorides. He gave them the name "anesthesia" - "without feeling."

In 1540, Paracelsus proposed the use of diethyl ether for pain relief. He repeatedly tried the substance in practice - the results looked encouraging. Other doctors did not support the innovation, and after the death of the inventor, this method was forgotten.

To turn off a person's consciousness for the most complex manipulations, surgeons used a wooden hammer. The patient was struck on the head, and he temporarily fell into unconsciousness. The method was crude and inefficient.

The most common method of medieval anesthesiology was ligatura fortis, i.e., infringement of nerve endings. The measure allowed to slightly reduce pain. One of the apologists for this practice was Ambroise Pare, the court physician of the French monarchs.

Cooling and hypnosis as methods of pain relief

At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, the Neapolitan physician Aurelio Saverina reduced the sensitivity of operated organs with the help of cooling. The diseased part of the body was rubbed with snow, thus being subjected to a slight frost. Patients experienced less pain. This method has been described in the literature, but few people have resorted to it.

About anesthesia with the help of cold was remembered during the Napoleonic invasion of Russia. In the winter of 1812, the French surgeon Larrey carried out mass amputations of frostbitten limbs right on the street at a temperature of -20 ... -29 °C.

In the 19th century, during the mesmerization craze, attempts were made to hypnotize patients before surgery. When and who invented anesthesia? We will talk about this further.

Chemical experiments of the 18th–19th centuries

With the development of scientific knowledge, scientists began to gradually approach the solution of a complex problem. At the beginning of the 19th century, the English naturalist H. Davy established on the basis of personal experience that the inhalation of nitrous oxide vapors dulls the sensation of pain in a person. M. Faraday found that a similar effect is caused by a pair of sulfuric ether. Their discoveries have not found practical application.

In the mid 40s. XIX century dentist G. Wells from the USA became the first person in the world who underwent surgical manipulation while under the influence of an anesthetic - nitrous oxide or "laughing gas". Wells had a tooth removed, but he felt no pain. Wells was inspired by a successful experience and began to promote a new method. However, a repeated public demonstration of the action of a chemical anesthetic ended in failure. Wells failed to win the laurels of the discoverer of anesthesia.

The invention of ether anesthesia

W. Morton, who practiced in the field of dentistry, became interested in the study of the analgesic effect of sulfuric ether. He carried out a series of successful experiments on himself and on October 16, 1846, he immersed the first patient in a state of anesthesia. An operation was performed to painlessly remove the tumor on the neck. The event received a wide response. Morton patented his innovation. He is officially considered the inventor of anesthesia and the first anesthesiologist in the history of medicine.

In medical circles, the idea of ether anesthesia was picked up. Operations with its use were made by doctors in France, Great Britain, Germany.

Who invented anesthesia in Russia? The first Russian doctor who dared to test the advanced method on his patients was Fedor Ivanovich Inozemtsev. In 1847, he performed several complex abdominal operations on patients immersed in medical sleep. Therefore, he is the pioneer of anesthesia in Russia.

The contribution of N. I. Pirogov to the world anesthesiology and traumatology

Other Russian doctors followed in the footsteps of Inozemtsev, including Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov. He not only operated on patients, but also studied the effect of ethereal gas, tried different ways of introducing it into the body. Pirogov summarized and published his observations. He was the first to describe the techniques of endotracheal, intravenous, spinal and rectal anesthesia. His contribution to the development of modern anesthesiology is invaluable.

Pirogov is the one who invented anesthesia and plaster. For the first time in Russia, he began to fix injured limbs with a plaster cast. The physician tested his method on wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. However, Pirogov cannot be considered the discoverer of this method. Gypsum as a fixing material was used long before him (Arab doctors, the Dutch Hendrichs and Mathyssen, the Frenchman Lafargue, the Russians Gibental and Basov). Pirogov only improved plaster fixation, made it light and mobile.

Discovery of chloroform anesthesia

In the early 30s. Chloroform was discovered in the 19th century.

A new type of anesthesia using chloroform was officially presented to the medical community on November 10, 1847. Its inventor, the Scottish obstetrician D. Simpson, actively introduced anesthesia for women in labor to facilitate the process of childbirth. There is a legend that the first girl who was born painlessly was given the name Anasthesia. Simpson is rightfully considered the founder of obstetric anesthesiology.

Chloroform anesthesia was much more convenient and profitable than ether anesthesia. He quickly plunged a person into sleep, had a deeper effect. He did not need additional equipment, it was enough to inhale the vapors with gauze soaked in chloroform.

Cocaine, the local anesthetic of South American Indians

The ancestors of local anesthesia are considered to be the South American Indians. They have been practicing cocaine as an anesthetic since ancient times. This plant alkaloid was extracted from the leaves of the local shrub Erythroxylon coca.

The Indians considered the plant a gift from the gods. Coca was planted in special fields. Young leaves were carefully cut off from the bush and dried. If necessary, the dried leaves were chewed and saliva was poured over the damaged area. It lost sensitivity, and traditional healers proceeded to the operation.

Koller's research in local anesthesia

The need to provide anesthesia in a limited area was especially acute for dentists. Extraction of teeth and other interventions in dental tissues caused unbearable pain in patients. Who Invented Local Anesthesia? In the 19th century, in parallel with the experiments on general anesthesia, the search for an effective method for limited (local) anesthesia was carried out. In 1894, a hollow needle was invented. To stop toothache, dentists used morphine and cocaine.

Vasily Konstantinovich Anrep, a professor from St. Petersburg, wrote about the properties of coca derivatives to reduce sensitivity in tissues. His works were studied in detail by the Austrian ophthalmologist Karl Koller. The young doctor decided to use cocaine as an anesthetic for eye surgery. The experiments were successful. Patients remained conscious and did not feel pain. In 1884, Koller informed the Viennese medical community of his achievements. Thus, the results of the experiments of the Austrian doctor are the first officially confirmed examples of local anesthesia.

The history of the development of endotrachial anesthesia

In modern anesthesiology, endotracheal anesthesia, also called intubation or combined anesthesia, is most often practiced. This is the safest type of anesthesia for a person. Its use allows you to control the patient's condition, to carry out complex abdominal operations.

Who invented endotrochial anesthesia? The first documented case of the use of a breathing tube for medical purposes is associated with the name of Paracelsus. An outstanding doctor of the Middle Ages inserted a tube into the trachea of a dying person and thereby saved his life.

André Vesalius, a professor of medicine from Padua, conducted experiments on animals in the 16th century by inserting breathing tubes into their tracheas.

The occasional use of breathing tubes during operations provided the basis for further developments in the field of anesthesiology. In the early 70s of the XIX century, the German surgeon Trendelenburg made a breathing tube equipped with a cuff.

The use of muscle relaxants in intubation anesthesia

The mass use of intubation anesthesia began in 1942, when Canadians Harold Griffith and Enid Johnson used muscle relaxants during surgery - drugs that relax muscles. They injected the patient with the alkaloid tubocurarine (intokostrin), obtained from the well-known poison of the South American curare Indians. The innovation facilitated intubation and made operations safer. Canadians are considered to be the innovators of endotracheal anesthesia.

Now you know who invented general anesthesia and local anesthesia. Modern anesthesiology does not stand still. Traditional methods are successfully applied, the latest medical developments are being introduced. Anesthesia is a complex, multicomponent process on which the health and life of the patient depends.

Getting rid of pain has been the dream of mankind since time immemorial. Attempts to end the suffering of the patient were used in the ancient world. However, the ways in which the doctors of those times tried to anesthetize were, according to modern concepts, absolutely wild and themselves delivered pain to the patient. Stunning by a blow to the head with a heavy object, tight contraction of the limbs, squeezing of the carotid artery up to the complete loss of consciousness, bloodletting to the point of anemia of the brain and deep fainting - these absolutely brutal methods were actively used to lose pain sensitivity in the patient.

There were, however, other ways. Even in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, India and China, decoctions of poisonous herbs (belladonna, henbane) and other drugs (alcohol to unconsciousness, opium) were used as painkillers. In any case, such "sparing" painless methods brought harm to the patient's body, in addition to the semblance of anesthesia.

History stores data on amputations of limbs in the cold, which were performed by the surgeon of the army of Napoleon Larrey. Right on the street, at 20-29 degrees below zero, he operated on the wounded, considering freezing to be sufficient pain relief (in any case, he still had no other options). The transition from one wounded man to another was carried out even without preliminary washing of hands - at that time no one thought about the necessity of this moment. Probably, Larrey used the method of Aurelio Saverino, a doctor from Naples, who, back in the 16th-17th century, 15 minutes before the start of the operation, rubbed with snow those parts of the patient's body that were then subjected to intervention.

Of course, none of the listed methods gave the surgeons of those times absolute and long-term anesthesia. Operations had to take place incredibly quickly - from one and a half to 3 minutes, since a person can withstand unbearable pain for no longer than 5 minutes, otherwise a painful shock would set in, from which patients most often died. One can imagine that, for example, amputation took place under such conditions literally by cutting off a limb, and what the patient experienced at the same time can hardly be described in words ... Such anesthesia did not yet allow abdominal operations.

Further inventions of pain relief

Surgery was in dire need of anesthesia. This could give the majority of patients who needed surgery a chance of recovery, and the doctors understood this well.

In the 16th century (1540), the famous Paracelsus made the first scientifically based description of diethyl ether as an anesthetic. However, after the death of the doctor, his developments were lost and forgotten for another 200 years.

In 1799, thanks to H. Devi, a variant of anesthesia with the help of nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) was released, which caused euphoria in the patient and gave some analgesic effect. Devi used this technique on himself during teething of wisdom teeth. But since he was a chemist and physicist, and not a physician, his idea did not find support among doctors.

In 1841, Long performed the first extraction of a tooth using ether anesthesia, but did not immediately tell anyone about it. In the future, the main reason for his silence was the unsuccessful experience of H. Wells.

In 1845, Dr. Horace Wells, having adopted Devi's method of anesthetizing by applying "laughing gas", decided to conduct a public experiment: extract a patient's tooth using nitrous oxide. The doctors who gathered in the hall were very skeptical, which is understandable: at that time, no one completely believed in the absolute painlessness of operations. One of those who came to the experiment decided to become a “subject”, but due to his cowardice, he began to scream even before anesthesia was given. When anesthesia was nevertheless carried out, and the patient seemed to pass out, "laughing gas" spread throughout the room, and the experimental patient woke up from a sharp pain at the time of tooth extraction. The audience laughed under the influence of the gas, the patient screamed in pain ... The overall picture of what was happening was depressing. The experiment failed. The doctors present booed Wells, after which he gradually began to lose patients who did not trust the "charlatan" and, unable to bear the shame, committed suicide by inhaling chloroform and opening his femoral vein. But few people know that Wells' student, Thomas Morton, who was later recognized as the discoverer of ether anesthesia, quietly and imperceptibly left the failed experiment.

T. Morton's contribution to the development of pain relief

At that time, Thomas Morton, a doctor, an orthopedic dentist, was experiencing difficulties regarding the lack of patients. People, for obvious reasons, were afraid to treat their teeth, especially to remove them, preferring to endure rather than undergo a painful dental procedure.

Morton "finished" the development of diethyl alcohol as a strong pain reliever through multiple experiments on animals and his fellow dentists. Using this method, he removed their teeth. When he built the most primitive anesthesia machine by modern standards, the decision to carry out the public use of anesthesia became final. Morton invited an experienced surgeon as his assistant, taking on the role of an anesthesiologist.

On October 16, 1846, Thomas Morton successfully performed a public operation to remove a tumor on the jaw and tooth under anesthesia. The experiment took place in complete silence, the patient slept peacefully and did not feel anything.

The news of this instantly spread throughout the world, diethyl ether was patented, as a result of which it is officially considered that it was Thomas Morton who was the discoverer of anesthesia.

Less than six months later, in March 1847, the first operations under anesthesia were already performed in Russia.

N. I. Pirogov, his contribution to the development of anesthesiology

The contribution of the great Russian doctor, surgeon to medicine is difficult to describe, it is so great. He also made a significant contribution to the development of anesthesiology.

In 1847, he combined his developments on general anesthesia with data already previously obtained as a result of experiments conducted by other doctors. Pirogov described not only the positive aspects of anesthesia, but was also the first to point out its disadvantages: the likelihood of severe complications, the need for accurate knowledge in the field of anesthesiology.

It was in the works of Pirogov that the first data appeared on intravenous, rectal, endotracheal and spinal anesthesia, which is also used in modern anesthesiology.

By the way, F.I. Inozemtsev was the first Russian surgeon to perform an operation under anesthesia, and not Pirogov, as is commonly believed. It happened in Riga on February 7, 1847. The operation with the use of ether anesthesia was successful. But between Pirogov and Inozemtsev there was a complex strained relationship, somewhat reminiscent of the rivalry between two specialists. Pirogov, after a successful operation performed by Inozemtsev, very quickly began to operate using the same method of applying anesthesia. As a result, the number of operations carried out by him significantly overlapped the operations carried out by Inozemtsev, and thus, Pirogov took the lead in number. On this basis, in many sources, it was Pirogov who was named the first doctor to use anesthesia in Russia.

Development of anesthesiology

With the invention of anesthesia, there was a need for specialists in this field. During the operation, a doctor was needed who was responsible for the dose of anesthesia and controlling the patient's condition. The first anesthesiologist is officially recognized by the Englishman John Snow, who began his career in this field in 1847.

Over time, communities of anesthesiologists began to appear (the first in 1893). Science has developed rapidly, and purified oxygen has already begun to be used in anesthesiology.

1904 - the first intravenous anesthesia with hedonal was carried out, which became the first step in the development of non-inhalation anesthesia. There was an opportunity to do complex abdominal operations.

The development of drugs did not stand still: many painkillers were created, many of which are still being improved.

In the second half of the 19th century, Claude Bernard and Greene discovered that it was possible to improve and intensify anesthesia by preliminary administration of morphine to calm the patient and atropine to reduce salivation and prevent heart failure. A little later, antiallergic drugs began to be used in anesthesia before the start of the operation. This is how premedication began to develop as a medical preparation for general anesthesia.

Constantly used for anesthesia, one drug (ether) no longer satisfied the needs of surgeons, so S. P. Fedorov and N. P. Kravkov proposed mixed (combined) anesthesia. The use of hedonal turned off the patient's consciousness, chloroform quickly eliminated the phase of the patient's excited state.

Now in anesthesiology, too, a single drug cannot independently make anesthesia safe for the patient's life. Therefore, modern anesthesia is multicomponent, where each drug performs its necessary function.

Oddly enough, but local anesthesia began to develop much later than the discovery of general anesthesia. In 1880, the idea of local anesthesia was put forward (V.K. Anrep), and in 1881 the first eye surgery was performed: the ophthalmologist Keller came up with local anesthesia using the administration of cocaine.

The development of local anesthesia began to gain momentum quite quickly:

1889: infiltration anesthesia;
1892: conduction anesthesia (invented by A. I. Lukashevich together with M. Oberst);
1897: spinal anesthesia.

Of great importance was the now popular method of tight infiltration, the so-called case anesthesia, which was invented by AI Vishnevsky. Then this method was often used in military conditions and in emergency situations.

The development of anesthesiology as a whole does not stand still: new drugs are constantly being developed (for example, fentanyl, anexat, naloxone, etc.) that ensure safety for the patient and a minimum of side effects.

"Divine art to destroy pain" for a long time was beyond the control of man. For centuries, patients have been forced to patiently endure torment, and healers have not been able to end their suffering. In the 19th century, science was finally able to conquer pain.

Modern surgery uses for and A who first invented anesthesia? You will learn about this in the process of reading the article.

Anesthesia techniques in antiquity

In ancient Egypt, crocodile fat or alligator skin powder was used as an anesthetic. One of the ancient Egyptian manuscripts, dated 1500 BC, describes the analgesic properties of the opium poppy.

Anesthesia methods in the Middle Ages

Cooling and hypnosis as methods of pain relief

In the 19th century, during the mesmerization craze, attempts were made to hypnotize patients before surgery. BUT when and who invented anesthesia? We will talk about this further.

Chemical experiments of the XVIII-XIX centuries

The invention of ether anesthesia

W. Morton, who practiced in the field of dentistry, became interested in the study of the analgesic effect. He carried out a series of successful experiments on himself and on October 16, 1846, he immersed the first patient in a state of anesthesia. An operation was performed to painlessly remove the tumor on the neck. The event received a wide response. Morton patented his innovation. He is officially considered the inventor of anesthesia and the first anesthesiologist in the history of medicine.

In medical circles, the idea of ether anesthesia was picked up. Operations with its use were made by doctors in France, Great Britain, Germany.

Who invented anesthesia in Russia? The first Russian doctor who dared to test the advanced method on his patients was Fedor Ivanovich Inozemtsev. In 1847, he performed several complex abdominal operations on patients immersed in. Therefore, he is the discoverer of anesthesia in Russia.

The contribution of N. I. Pirogov to the world anesthesiology and traumatology

Pirogov is the one. For the first time in Russia, he began to fix injured limbs with a plaster cast. The physician tested his method on wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. However, Pirogov cannot be considered the discoverer of this method. Gypsum as a fixing material was used long before him (Arab doctors, the Dutch Hendrichs and Mathyssen, the Frenchman Lafargue, the Russians Gibental and Basov). Pirogov only improved plaster fixation, made it light and mobile.

Discovery of chloroform anesthesia

In the early 30s. Chloroform was discovered in the 19th century.

Cocaine - local anesthetic of South American Indians

Koller's research in local anesthesia

The history of the development of endotrachial anesthesia

André Vesalius, a professor of medicine from Padua, conducted experiments on animals in the 16th century by inserting breathing tubes into their tracheas.

The use of muscle relaxants in intubation anesthesia

Now you know who invented general and local anesthesia. Modern anesthesiology does not stand still. Traditional methods are successfully applied, the latest medical developments are being introduced. Anesthesia is a complex, multicomponent process on which the health and life of the patient depends.