What was the first anesthetic used in clinical practice?

The first anesthetic used in clinical practice is ether. Ether was introduced as a surgical anesthetic in the 1840s, making it a landmark discovery in the history of medicine. Its use allowed for pain-free surgeries and marked the beginning of modern anesthesia.

While nitrous oxide (often referred to as laughing gas) was used before ether for its euphoric effects and mild analgesic properties, it did not gain popularity as a general anesthetic for more invasive surgical procedures until after ether had already established itself in clinical settings. Ether's effectiveness in producing a deep level of anesthesia made it more suitable for major surgeries at that time, which is why it is recognized as the first anesthetic used in practice.

Chloroform and barbiturates came later in the development of anesthetic agents and were utilized for different purposes or in specific contexts, but ether remains the first widely adopted anesthetic in surgical procedures.