When was the first epidural administered for childbirth?

Question:

One person I know says they weren't around when her twins were born, which was in 1979. Another person says she had one with her daughter who was born in 1960. I am trying to end the dispute but haven't been able to find a straight answer. Any help on a time frame for this would be great. Sources would be great if available.

Answers:
I couldn't find an exact date, but it seems like doctors have been working on pain relief for childbirth for quite some time (not to their benefit!) A doctor in Hamburg was executed for relieving the pain of a woman in childbirth in 1521. Then in the 19th century Dr. William Morton introduced ether as a means of pain relief. And finally...

"Dr. John Bonica invented the epidural block and administered it to his own wife while she was in labor with their second child in the 1930s, yet at least two full generations of women gave birth without benefit of an epidural, while the medical profession sat by with a sluggishness unmatched in history. It is time to relegate the so-called “beneficial aspects of pain” to the same grave where we have laid practices such as using leeches to bleed a patient" (1.)

Hi! Technically the first successful epidural (for childbirth) was performed in 1935, but they weren't use exclusively until the late '60's.
I found a cool link with some info on it for you, it's pretty easy reading! Hope that helps.

http://www.birthrites.org/epidural.html... - 37k

When was the first epidural administered for childbirth?

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