Abstract
The article provides a basic overview of notable historical events concerning years ending with 8. Five events are mentioned: The first case of an anaesthetic attributed death by chloroform administration in 1848, the first spinal anaesthesia introduced by August Bier in 1898, the first intravenous regional anaesthesia introduced by the same author in 1908, mass production of diamorphine by Bayer in 1898 and introduction of the first modern blood gas analyser by John W.
Severinghaus in 1958.