Which pairing of anesthesia agents was favored by the US and the UK respectively in the early history?

• A. UK favored chloroform; US favored ether
• B. UK favored ether; US favored chloroform
• C. US favored chloroform; UK favored ether
• D. US favored ether; UK favored chloroform

Answer: (D)

The situation reflects how early anesthesia practices split by country: ether became the default in the United States, while chloroform was quickly adopted as the preferred agent in the United Kingdom. In the US, the 1846 ether demonstration at a major hospital helped establish ether as readily available, easy to use in many settings, and seen as relatively safe for its time. In Britain, James Simpson popularized chloroform in 1847, and its fast, smooth induction and deep anesthesia made it the preferred choice there, despite concerns about toxicity with improper use. So the pairing that matches historical practice is the United States favoring ether and the United Kingdom favoring chloroform.