Tag: Diethyl ether

Introduced for surgical anesthesia in 1846, the drug ether (specifically diethyl ether) has a long and complex history, marked by both its life-saving medical applications and its dangerous recreational abuse. It profoundly affects the central nervous system, leading to a spectrum of effects that are highly dependent on the dosage and route of administration.

In 1846, the first public demonstration of ether as a surgical anesthetic forever changed medicine. It made painless surgery possible, but the flammable, slow-acting agent is obsolete in modern developed nations. So, **does anyone still use ether** for medical purposes today, and if so, why?

In 1960, surgical fires caused by ether, a once-revolutionary anesthetic, occurred in approximately one in every 100,000 procedures. This fact highlights one of the major reasons behind the pivotal question: why was ether banned in modern medical practice?