Which medicines were among the earliest modern anesthetics?

Among the earliest modern anesthetics, nitrous oxide, ether, and chloroform were the most significant substances that transformed surgical practice in the 19th century.12

• Nitrous Oxide: While its anesthetic properties were identified by Sir Humphry Davy in 1799, it was initially used recreationally before being employed by dentists and doctors in the 1840s to dull pain during minor procedures.2
• Ether: Ether gained prominence as a general anesthetic in the 1840s. Although Crawford Long used it in private practice as early as 1842, William Morton is credited with the first public demonstration of its effectiveness for surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1846.123
• Chloroform: Introduced as an anesthetic in 1847 by Sir James Young Simpson, chloroform quickly became a preferred alternative to ether. Its use gained significant public attention when it was administered to Queen Victoria during childbirth in 1853.142

These early agents were revolutionary, though they lacked the safety margins and precise delivery methods of modern anesthetics.24