One
of my class buddies from Sainik School Bijapur (SSBJ), Dr Gurunath Suryavanshi –
Gurrya to us – is a doctor specialised in Anaesthesia and as expected his
morning message in our Tigers 77, buddies’ group – friends whose friendship
date back to the year 1970, when we all joined the SSBJ and stayed together in
the residential school until 1977 – was Happy World Anaesthesia Day”. This post
of mine, as a science communicator, therefore is courtesy my buddy Gurrya and
as a mark of respect to him and his profession.
Let
me therefore, start my write up on this occasion wishing you all specially Dr
Guru, a Happy World Anaesthesia Day. This is a day. which we must remember not
just as a medical milestone, but a turning point in medical science and human
empathy. It marks the moment when science and its application in medicine stepped
into the space of suffering and said — pain need not be endured. World Anaesthesia Day commemorates the birth
of anaesthesia on 16 October 1846, when doctors at Massachusetts General
Hospital demonstrated the use of ether for the first time on a patient.
Despite
nearly 180 years having passed since that first anaesthetic procedure, and the
countless breakthroughs that have followed, according to the World Federation
of Societies of Anaesthesiologists, nearly 5 billion people still lack access
to safe anaesthesia practices. It is therefore necessary that we create global
awareness days like World Anaesthesia Day with a hope that they serve as
powerful advocacy tools to mobilise political will, educate the general public,
and reinforce the achievements of the global anaesthesia community.
Each
year, for World Anaesthesia Day, the WFSA focuses on a different aspect of
anaesthesia care and this year 2025, ‘Anaesthesiology in Health Emergencies’
has been chosen as the theme for World Anaesthesia Day.
On
October 16, 1846, in the Ether Dome of the Massachusetts General Hospital, a
young dentist, William Morton, administered ether to a patient undergoing
surgery, thus became the first person to use what we now call anaesthesia. When
the operation ended, surgeon John Warren turned to the crowd and said,
“Gentlemen, this is no humbug.” Thus began the age of anaesthesia. But, as with
most great achievements in science and its applications for human benefit, the roots
of this great moment reach far deeper into the soil of curiosity, courage, and
communication. The success of use of Anaesthesia in Surgery for the first time
in history by William Morton was, an outcome of his understanding on he could
see further “by standing on the shoulders of giants”, a profound statement of Newton.
This
journey begins with the 18th century, an age when air itself was
being discovered. Chemists like Joseph Priestley and Antoine Lavoisier were
revealing that air was not one element but many — oxygen, hydrogen, and other
invisible gases. Among them was one that could make us laugh — the nitrous
oxide. Incidentally, the intellectual genealogy of anaesthesia from its proto-ideas
began with pneumatic chemistry. One of its early practitioners was a young,
brilliant experimenter — Humphry Davy.
In
the year 1799, Humphrey Devy inhaled and analysed gases in pursuit of their
effects on the human body and he did this experiment at Dr. Thomas Beddoes’s
Pneumatic Institution in Bristol, UK. Devy meticulously recorded his
experiences of “euphoria, exhilaration, and a curious absence of pain”. In
1800, he published his findings in a work titled “Researches, Chemical and
Philosophical; Chiefly Concerning Nitrous Oxide.” In his book, Davy wrote a
prophetic sentence — and I quote: “As nitrous oxide appears capable of
destroying physical pain, it may probably be used with advantage during
surgical operations.” This statement done in 1800 — forty-six years before
Morton’s demonstration, foretold the future of painless surgery, that William
Morton would go on to perform nearly fifty years later in 1846. I am concentrating
slightly more on Devy, primarily because of his conviction that science should
be seen, felt, and shared, a Mantra for any science communicator, my tribe.
Davy’s
genius was not confined only to the laboratory. At the Royal Institution in London, where he
worked, he transformed chemistry into Public Demonstration Lecture theatre —
with sparks, flames, and poetry. He was a big draw. People flocked to see him,
not merely for what he discovered, but for the wonder he inspired and the way
he communicated his findings to the people. He was one of the first true
science communicators — a pioneer of public engagement long before the term was
coined.
Among
those captivated by Davy’s lectures was a young bookbinder’s apprentice named
Michael Faraday. Inspired by Davy’s demonstrations, Faraday took notes, wrote
to him, and was taken on as his assistant. From that relationship bloomed one
of the most inspiring mentorships in the history of science. Faraday went on to
revolutionise our understanding of electricity and magnetism — yet he always
credited Davy for teaching him not just how to experiment, but how to
communicate the wonders of science to the people, the end users of the
applications of science.
Davy’s
compassion, too, found expression in invention. In 1815, faced with the tragedy
of miners dying in methane explosions, he devised the Davy Safety Lamp — a
simple flame shielded by wire gauze that prevented the ignition of flammable
gas. It saved countless lives during the Industrial Revolution. Here again,
knowledge became kindness.
The
story of anaesthesia follows a similar arc — science serving humanity. After
Davy’s observations, others followed: Crawford Long in 1842 with ether, Horace
Wells in 1844 with nitrous oxide, William Morton’s public demonstration in
1846, and James Young Simpson’s introduction of chloroform in 1847.
Each
built upon the works of the other to shed new insights to arrive at what we now
call anaesthesia - a wonder outcome of chemistry which could subdue or nullify pain,
with the understanding of nature’s chemistry.
Speaking
of surgery as an Indian, and that too a person who had the honour to curate Our
Science and Technology Heritage exhibition, I am reminded of a story of
ingenuity that predates the Ether Dome by over two millennia. For an Indian
audience, who constitute most of my readers, and also to the science
communicators among my readers, the journey to painless surgery must also
acknowledge our own pioneering Sushruta - the 'Father of Surgery,' who
performed complex operations—including rhinoplasty and cataract removal—in
ancient India millennia before Ether Dome. In an era where a single inhalation
of ether was unimaginable, it is inconceivable as to how did Sushruta and his
contemporaries cope with the extreme pain of surgery?
Sushruta’s
approach, detailed in the Sushruta Samhita, was a brilliant, pre-scientific
effort to harness nature's pharmacy. Sushruta was not seeking to eliminate
consciousness entirely, but to alleviate suffering and induce temporary
sedation. This coping mechanism relied heavily on the knowledge of naturally
available herbal extracts (like those from the cannabis plant, Indian Hemp),
potent alcoholic drinks (madhya or fermented wines), and, significantly,
compounds from the poppy plant, or opium (ahiphena). These substances were believed
to be combined and administered to the patient prior to the procedure, dulling
the senses just enough to make the agonizing experience bearable. We have artistically
recreated a diorama of Sushruta performing his surgery in the exhibition at
National Science Centre, New Delhi. This ancient practice, using empirical
observation to achieve human compassion, underscores a vital point for us
today: the yearning to relieve pain has always been humanity's oldest instinct,
and science—whether modern pharmacology or ancient herbalism—has always been
its most refined instrument.
Today,
as we stand in a world shaped by data, artificial intelligence, and digital
revolutions, Davy’s spirit feels close. His belief that knowledge must reach
people, not remain confined in journals, must echo through every science museum
and science centre and must be told by every science communicator, every museum
exhibit, every digital platform that strives to make discovery public and
participatory.
Perhaps,
if Davy lived today, he might stand not behind a wooden lecture bench but
before a camera or AI screen — still explaining, still inspiring, still
connecting curiosity to compassion.
So,
on this World Anaesthesia Day, let us celebrate not only the physicians and
scientists who banished pain, but also the communicators who made their
discoveries part of human culture. Science is not only about understanding the
world; it is about improving it. From laughing gas to the light of the Davy
lamp, from ancient herbs to neural networks—it is the same story, told in new
languages.
Every discovery, when shared, becomes a gift, which I am happy to share with my blog readers, courtesy Dr Guru, my buddy.
Images: Courtesy Wikipedia
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