On the Inhalation of the Vapour of Ether in Surgical Operations

“The point requiring most skill and care in the administration of the vapour of ether is, undoubtedly, to determine when it has been carried far enough.” —John Snow, On the Inhalation of the Vapour of Ether in Surgical Operations, 1847

English physician John Snow was one of the first physicians to study the use of ether and chloroform as surgical anesthetics. This enabled patients to undergo surgical procedures without the pain they would otherwise experience. In 1847, he published On the Inhalation of the Vapour of Ether in Surgical Operations, which established Snow’s reputation as a frontrunner in the field of anesthesiology and solidified his place in the history of medicine.

This book is an important read for students of medicine, historians, and those interested in the developments in health and medicine throughout the ages.