Historical medicine Memes

Ever wonder how surgeries worked before modern anesthesia? Just a muscular dude putting you in a chokehold while you're thinking "Wtf doc?" and he's casually announcing "Nap time!" That's right—before 1846, getting knocked unconscious for medical procedures was less pharmaceutical and more... wrestling match. William T.G. Morton's ether demonstration that year literally saved patients from being forcibly restrained or choked out. Fun fact: early surgical patients were sometimes given a wooden stick to bite down on and a shot of whiskey—that was the premium pain management package!