One hundred and sixty years since isolation of cocaine and 115 years since synthesis of procaine - history of local anaesthetics and their pioneers

Abstract

The article presents discovery of cocaine, its anaesthetic and stimulative effects, history of synthesis and use of other significant local anaesthetics as well as notable names connected with this history.

Keywords

• history
• local anaesthetics
• cocaine
• procaine
• lidocaine
• Karl Koller
• William Halsted
• Torsten Gordh