A local anesthetic drug that numbs the area where it's applied, commonly used by dentists and doctors to prevent pain during procedures.
Synthesized in 1943 from a combination of 'lidol' (a chemical compound) and '-caine' (suffix used for anesthetics, from cocaine). The name is a chemical construction rather than derived from a natural source.
Lidocaine was revolutionary because it was safer and less addictive than cocaine, which was previously used as an anesthetic—doctors finally had a way to numb pain without the dangerous side effects that made cocaine so problematic!
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