The Science of Anesthesia: How the Brain Shuts Down Under Anesthetic Drugs
By
by Molly McDonough
Summary
The article explores the history and science of anesthesia, beginning with William Morton's 1846 demonstration of ether at Massachusetts General Hospital. It explains how anesthetic drugs work on the brain to induce unconsciousness, the neural mechanisms involved, and the ongoing research into how these drugs suppress consciousness while preserving vital functions. The piece covers the discovery of anesthesia, its impact on surgery, and modern understanding of brain activity under anesthesia.
Source
Twitter / XThe Science of Anesthesia: How the Brain Shuts Down Under Anesthetic Drugsmagazine.hms.harvard.eduKey quotes
· 3 pulledOn October 16, 1846, physicians filled the surgical amphitheater at Massachusetts General Hospital to watch dentist William Morton test a bold new idea.
Morton held a glass inhaler filled with an ether-soaked sponge and asked a patient, Gilbert Abbott, to breathe in.
Within minutes, Abbott lay motionless. Surgeon John Collins Warren then made an incision
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