Until the arrival of general anaesthetics, the best that a patient could hope for was an intoxicant or sedative that would dull their senses while the surgeon operated as fast as he could. Ether (diethyl ether) was the first general anaesthetic to be used widely in surgery. Michael Faraday actually published a report on the sedative and analgesic properties of this volatile and flammable liquid in 1818. In 1846, Morton participated in the first public demonstration to use ether as a general anaesthetic in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. The operation was judged a success and surgeons across Europe and America were quick to see the potential benefits of a general anaesthesia.

Source: Science Museum