This early work by R. R. Macintosh and Freda B. Bannister was originally published in the early 20th century and we are now republishing it. 'Essentials of General Anaesthesia' is an comprehensive and informative work on various aspects of anaesthesia and includes chapters on 'Respiration', 'Choice of General Anaesthetic', 'Ether', and much more. This is a fascinating work for anyone interested in the history of anaesthetics.