A colorless, non-flammable liquid chemical used as a general anesthetic during surgery.
From Greek 'halos' (salt) + 'alkane' (hydrocarbon). The name references its halogenated structure—containing halogen atoms (like chlorine) bonded to hydrocarbon.
Halothane revolutionized surgery in the 1950s because it was much safer than ether—it doesn't catch fire, and surgeons could actually control anesthesia depth predictably for the first time!
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