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Historical development of anesthetics

Publication at Faculty of Science |
2020

Abstract

Drugs that eliminate pain caused by medical treatment have been sought by humanity since time immemorial. Initially, on ly analgesic substances, especially plant alkaloids (some of which had a narcotic effect), were used for this purpose.

During the Middle Ages, these pseudoanesthetics evolved into a primitive form of anesthesia, the sleeping sponge (spongia somnifera).