麻醉技術出現以前，為儘可能減輕病人痛苦，外科醫生盡力縮短手術時間，其中佼佼者為蘇格蘭醫生Robert liston，號稱“the fastest knife in West End”,後人稱之為“小李飛刀”，據說此人曾在4分鐘內成功切除一重約20kg陰囊腫瘤，最不可思議的是此人創造了史上唯一一例死亡率300%的手術：Amputated the leg in under 2 1/2 minutes (the patient died afterwards in the ward from hospital gangrene, they usually did in those pre-Listerian days). He amputated in addition the fingers of his young assistant (who died afterwards in the ward from hospital gangrene, they usually did in those pre-Listerian days). He also slashed through the coat tails of a distinguished surgical spectator, who was so terrified that the knife had pierced his vitals he dropped dead from fright. That was the only operation in history with a 300 per cent mortality.一例截肢手術，速度是快，但患者死於術後感染，誤傷助手（死於傷口感染），嚇死一位觀摩者。現代麻醉藥品與麻醉技術的發展為手術醫生不必一味追求快速，麻醉技術與麻醉醫生為外科學甚至是醫學發展做出了卓越的貢獻。
麻醉技術出現以前，為儘可能減輕病人痛苦，外科醫生盡力縮短手術時間，其中佼佼者為蘇格蘭醫生Robert liston，號稱“the fastest knife in West End”,後人稱之為“小李飛刀”，據說此人曾在4分鐘內成功切除一重約20kg陰囊腫瘤，最不可思議的是此人創造了史上唯一一例死亡率300%的手術：Amputated the leg in under 2 1/2 minutes (the patient died afterwards in the ward from hospital gangrene, they usually did in those pre-Listerian days). He amputated in addition the fingers of his young assistant (who died afterwards in the ward from hospital gangrene, they usually did in those pre-Listerian days). He also slashed through the coat tails of a distinguished surgical spectator, who was so terrified that the knife had pierced his vitals he dropped dead from fright. That was the only operation in history with a 300 per cent mortality.一例截肢手術，速度是快，但患者死於術後感染，誤傷助手（死於傷口感染），嚇死一位觀摩者。現代麻醉藥品與麻醉技術的發展為手術醫生不必一味追求快速，麻醉技術與麻醉醫生為外科學甚至是醫學發展做出了卓越的貢獻。