Where Pain Medicine Comes From
The unusual history of whiskey surgery and cocaine tooth drops
There once was a time without pain killer. We had no aspirin, no ibuprofen, no anesthetic for surgery. How did we manage pain in the past? What led to the first breakthroughs in pain management? Can it help us confront chronic pain today?
It can be difficult to imagine a life without pain medicine. Just this morning, I awoke with a pressure headache due to an incoming storm front. I took a few ibuprofen and went on with my day. Most of us have passing pains like these: a stiff back from garden work, sore muscles from an overzealous romp with kids or grandkids, minor headaches. Then there are more cyclical issues—injury, migraines, PMS, and chronic conditions that can only be managed with some form of pain relief. Now imagine a life without that possibility.
In 1810, novelist Francis (Fanny) Burney was diagnosed with breast cancer. She survived, thanks to the intervention of Napoleon’s surgeon in 1811. He performed a mastectomy without anesthetic (because anesthetic had not yet been invented).
We don’t normally think of anesthetic and bathroom cupboard pain pills as related, but in fact breakthroughs in pain relief were largely driven by the need to perform surgery on patients who were awake and feeling.
