The word anaesthesia is coined from two Greek words: “an” meaning “without” and “aesthesis” meaning “sensation”.  Anaesthesia therefore refers to the practice of administering medications either by injection or by inhalation (breathing in) that block the feeling of pain and other sensations, or that produce a deep state of unconsciousness that eliminates all sensations, which allows medical and surgical procedures to be undertaken without causing undue distress or discomfort.

EVOLUTION OF ANAESTHESIA

1846 marked the evolutional turn in anaesthesia practice. Before 1846, with the exception of the successful Anaesthesia given by God to remove a rib from Adam to create Eve, was the time when barbaric surgery was performed due to the fact that, methods of Anaesthesia at that time invariably led to death or permanent disability.
These were the drug methods and the non-drug methods

The drug methods included the use of:

• Alcohol, Opium (poppy), Hyoscine (Mandrake), Cannabis (Hemp), Cocaine (New World)
• Some of the non-drug methods included subjecting the patient to conditions such as:
• Extreme Cold
• Cerebral Concussion
• Carotid compression
• Nerve compression
• Hypnosis
• Blood letting

Amputation and dental extraction were some of the oldest surgeries usually performed in barber shops and there were no means of antisepsis or disinfection.