Anaesthetic concentration is very important for the quantitative treatment of anaesthesia theory. Traditionally concentration values have been derived from the water/gas partition coefficient. However, the values from many investigators show discrepancies. This study reports the accurate solubility of methoxyflurane (9.1 mM), halothane (18.0 mM), enflurane (11.9 mM) and isoflurane (13.5 mM) in water at 25.0 degrees C using 19F NMR spectroscopy. The method has advantages in that the dissolved molecule in solution can be separately quantified from undissolved anaesthetic. Saturated solutions of the anaesthetic agents were prepared in situ in a NMR tube to avoid pressure and temperature changes in the solution.