Sir, Sudden, inexplicable deaths from cocaine are not new (“No safe cocaine use”, Jan 13). It was used as a local anaesthetic, especially in dentistry, from 1884, but its action was so unpredictable, even causing death, that some dentists shunned its application and continued to risk using general anaesthetics, such as nitrous oxide, ether or chloroform.
The discovery of the synthetic local anaesthetic, Novocain, by Alfred Einhorn in 1905, revolutionised dental practice. It was safe and predictable in its action. Moreover, it was non-addictive and thus not a source of temptation to medical practitioners. Its widespread use changed dentistry from a trade based on tooth extraction to a profession aimed at preserving the patient’s teeth.
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Professor Alan Dronsfield
Chair, Historical Group, Royal Society of Chemistry