A general anaesthetic (or anesthetic, see spelling differences) is a drug that brings about a reversible loss of consciousness. These drugs are generally administered by an anaesthesia provider to induce or maintain general anaesthesia to facilitate surgery. The biological mechanism(s) of the action of general anaesthetics are not well understood.
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Famous quotes containing the word general:
“The general feeling was, and for a long time remained, that one had several children in order to keep just a few. As late as the seventeenth century . . . people could not allow themselves to become too attached to something that was regarded as a probable loss. This is the reason for certain remarks which shock our present-day sensibility, such as Montaignes observation, I have lost two or three children in their infancy, not without regret, but without great sorrow.”
—Philippe Ariés (20th century)