Abstract
The introduction of inhalation anaesthesia, first by the use of ether in 1845 and then of chloroform in the following year, saw an explosion in the range and extent of major surgical procedures as patients were spared the agonies of the surgeon's knife. A good example of this was the operation of pharyngotomy - opening the cervical oesophagus through a lateral incision of the neck - to remove an impacted foreign body. One cannot imagine a surgeon being able to do this without the benefit of an anaesthetic! Edward Cock, a surgeon at Guy's Hospital, performed this operation successfully on two occasions; the second was reported in detail in the Guy's Hospital Reports 1868, Volume 28.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
