Are You Having a Laugh?

The abundance of museums dedicated to the history of anesthesia is really something to behold. While we certainly can't deny the landmark nature of this medical wonder, we were a bit bowled over to discover so many institutions dedicated to exalting its virtues and warehousing its antique equipment.

But therein lies Microkhan gold, particularly the archival materials related to medicine's surprisingly longtime reliance on nitrous oxide. Before it was relegated to the dentist's office (and...