You may already know about William Morton's successful dental operation in 1846 using ether as an anesthetic. What you probably don’t know is how ether caught on in England. Dr. Francis Boott received a letter about it, so the British doctor decided to try ether himself. On Dec. 19, 1846, Boott administered the anesthesia while his dentist friend, James Robinson, extracted a tooth from a woman whose name was recorded as Miss Lonsdale, who later said she experienced a "heavenly dream." Boott relayed news of the success to London's foremost surgeon — and Robert Liston used ether two days later during a thigh amputation. Boott also reported his findings to the Morning Chronicle, stating that the use of ether as anesthetic had been tried in London "with the most perfect success."

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