Origins of the hypodermic syringe and local anesthesia. Their influence on hernia surgery

Summary

Although the syringe has probably been around for thousands of years, the term is derived from the Greek word “syringos”. The development of hypodermic syringe is closely related to the discovery of local anesthesia. Cocaine was imported from America by the Europeans but it was not until the 19th century when the chemists and more recently surgeons were able to make use of its anesthetics properties. Carl Koller is credited with recognising the merits of cocaine as an anesthetic in 1881. Since then there has been a constant development of different types of hypodermic syringes and local anesthetics. William S Halted initiated hernia surgery by local anesthesia. He described the principles of the regional anesthesia that became of great transcendence in the history of surgery.