And She Felt No Pain: A Japanese Doctor, His Herbal Invention, and the First General Anesthesia in R

"Seishu Hanaoka comes through as such a humble, honorable man. His emphasis on individualizing care for each patient completely flies in the face of the 'cookie-cutter' medicine that passes for primary care now." - David Dansky MD, FACEP

Inspired by ancient herbal formulas, Seishu Hanaoka spent seven years developing his general anesthetic. He was walking a tightrope: not far enough and the patient would wake up in the middle of the operation; too far and the patient would be injured or dead. Hanaoka's vision to integrate traditional Chinese medicine and modern western surgery - seemingly opposite styles - was one of the keys to his success. On the morning of October 13, 1804, the time came to put his invention to the test. A brave woman with breast cancer was willing to take a chance with the surgeon's knife and the mysterious mixture . . .