Anaesthesia was occassionally attempted. Many potions were known to a medieval surgeon which were to be used during surgery. Some of the potions used to relieve pain or induce sleep during the surgery were themselves potentially lethal. For example, one of these consisted of:

lettuce
gall from a castrated boar
briony, opium
henbane
hemlock juice

the hemlock juice could easily have caused death.

It is worth to mention that the word used to describe the potion to be taken for anaesthesia is "dwale" which in Middle English may mean deception, delusion, evil; or a dazed or unconscious condition; or a fool; or a specific plant, deadly nightshade; or a narcotic drink."

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