Anesthesia - History and Origins

Laughing Gas

In the year 1772, after the discovery of nitrous oxide by Joseph Pristley, which was known as the 'LAUGHING GAS', nitrous oxide was used during medical shows and carnivals as a recreational agent. People would pay a price to inhale it for a minute, after which they would act silly and giggle and feel intoxicated and thus the gas earned its nickname: "laughing gas".

In England, as early as 1799, Humphry Davy discovered the analgesic properties of nitrous oxide. Almost 40 years later, in 1844, a dentist in USA, named Horace Wells demonstrated the pain relieving properties of nitrous oxide during a tooth extraction on a patient. Unfortunately for Wells, the patient cried out in pain and the people ridiculed him calling him a "Humbug". It was probably due to inadequate or improper administration of the gas by his assistant. Horace Wells left in disgrace, never to recover from the humiliation, and later committed suicide(2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Nitrous oxide: are you having a laugh?

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