On 30 March 1842, Dr Crawford Williamson Long, a physician in Jefferson, Georgia, carried out what many historians regard as the earliest documented surgical procedure using ether anaesthesia.

Long removed a tumour from the neck of a patient, James Venable. Before operating, he administered sulphuric ether by inhalation, rendering Venable unconscious. After the procedure, Venable reported that he experienced no pain, a significant departure from the norms of early 19th-century surgery, when patients were typically fully awake and speed often took precedence over precision.

Long’s decision was informed by observation. Ether was sometimes used recreationally at social events (“ether frolics”), where participants appeared less sensitive to pain even after accidental injuries. Long inferred that the same effect could be applied in a clinical setting to reduce or eliminate surgical pain, and the March 1842 case supported that hypothesis.

Despite the importance of this milestone, Long’s work was not immediately recognised. He did not publish his findings until 1849, after other physicians, notably William T. G. Morton, had demonstrated ether anaesthesia publicly in 1846.

Today, Long’s 1842 operation is widely cited as a foundational moment in the development of modern anaesthesiology, helping to establish the feasibility of controlled, pain-free surgery.