DOCTOR MORTON IMPACT OF ANESTHESIA

 The person of historical interest that I chose for the subject of my final paper is Doctor William T. G. Morton and his contributions of anesthesia to surgery of today. We all know that anesthesia has come a long way since the beginning of medicine. The impact of Doctor Morton’s work is still recognized today in 21st century anesthesia and surgery. The in-depth surgeries of today were made possible by the forward thinking and risks taken by a dentist in the 1800’s by the name of Doctor William Morton.

The contributions to the medical community by Doctor Morton were the use of ether as a surgical anesthetic (Porter, 2019). Anesthesia was not entirely new at this time, and earlier, medicine had always, used analgesics. Early societies were aware of the pain-deadening qualities of many plants and substances (Porter, 2019). In the early years of surgery and medicine, opium, hashish or Indian hemp, and alcohol were used as “painkillers” (Porter, 2006). Yet, most patients before the reign of Queen Victoria had to face serious surgery without any type of anesthesia or painkillers (Porter, 2006). Only a few attempts were made to deaden pain for patients about to