Episode One
The Agony and the Ecstasy
What’s it like to have an anaesthetic today, and what it was like to have surgery without one? Before anaesthesia was discovered, the fastest surgeons could charge the highest prices because their patients were awake. The discovery of anaesthesia changed all that, alleviating the pain of surgery for patients and allowing surgery itself to advance. But it’s discovery wasn’t as scientific as you might think, and it was born out of self experimentation and legal highs.
Guests:
With additional voice talent from:
Additional content from:
Music by:
Dr Warren M Zapol, MD
Reginald Jenney Professor, Anaesthesia, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Lara Stubbs as the voice of Frances ‘Fanny’ Burney
The news clip included in this episode was courtesy of Canada’s CTV News.
Nicola Chang