Barbital was first introduced into medical practice in 1903, when it was discovered that it sedated dogs. For the first half of the 1900s, barbiturates were the main stay of sedative treatment. Uses included in surgery, treatment of anxiety and seizures.
Although, largely replaced with newer sedatives since the 1950s, barbiturates are still used extensively in anesthesia. Butalbital is the active ingredient in Fioricet, a migraine medication. [17][18]
