Our beloved English bulldog Tater Tot (the best dog in the world ever) had a minor surgical procedure this weekend and though she recovered well it is always worrisome for us when she has to be put under. Driving her home I was trying to imagine what the world was like before anesthesia was invented.
According to Wikipedia, nitrous oxide was used to try to deaden pain during surgery around 1800; carbon dioxide around 1820; chloroform in the 1830s, diethyl ether in 1842, and cocaine (!) in 1859.
I found it interesting that Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. coined the word "anesthesia" in 1846. I wish he has made it easier to spell.
Think of all the surgeries people have fairly regularly and try to picture what they would feel like with no anesthesia: wisdom teeth removal, broken bones being set, heart bypasses, etc. Ouch.
yay! you & tater tot are back!
Posted by: michelle k | November 01, 2007 at 09:04 AM
Love that girl! Glad she's okay - that's some scary stuff when the little ones get operated on.
Posted by: Alisa | November 02, 2007 at 09:34 PM
There she is! I missed you, Tot! Glad to see that huge smile again.
Posted by: LA | November 05, 2007 at 06:35 PM
I missed Tater Tot! Hope she is doing well.
Posted by: EditThis | November 06, 2007 at 04:29 PM