From Ether to Desflurane
From Morton’s 1846 ether demonstration to the fluorinated ethers of the modern era, inhalational anaesthesia has undergone a remarkable pharmacological revolution. Ether’s unpleasant flammability gave way to chloroform’s cardiotoxicity. Halothane offered non-flammable, rapid anaesthesia but risked hepatitis. The modern agents—isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane—provide precise control, rapid emergence, and safety, transforming anaesthesia into a refined science.
