The Barbiturate Era
Thiopental, discovered by Volwiler and Tabern in the early 1930s, revolutionised anaesthesia induction. First used by Waters on 8 March 1934, this ultra-short-acting barbiturate induced unconsciousness within seconds and recovery within minutes. The drug’s effect was terminated by redistribution, not metabolism. Despite Pearl Harbor tragedies and lethal injection controversies, thiopental dominated intravenous anaesthesia for fifty years.
