Epidural administration of various anaelgesics gained increasing popularity following the discovery of opioid receptors in the spinal cord capable of producing potential analgesia. \the analgesic effect seems to be more when epidural anesthesia is continued in the post-operative period as epidural analgesia. It is now clear that epidural administration of opioids relieves patient of extended pain post-operatively. Ours was a comparative study of epidural butorphanal and epidual morphine for the relief of postoperative pain. METHODS: Sixty adult patients in ASA class I and II, weighing 45 to 60kgs of either sex, belonging to 21-60 years of age, posted for elective lower abdominal & lower limb surgeries in orthopaedics, gynaecological, urological, plastic and general surgeries under epidural anaesthesia were selected for the study. The study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and safety of epidural butorphanol 2 mg diluted to 10 ml of normal saline in comparison with epidural morphine 2.5 mg diluted to 10 ml of normal saline given for relief of postoperative pain. In the post-operative period the following parameters were studied, 1. Onset of analgesia, 2. Duration of analgesia, 3. Quality of analgesia, 4. Side effects like nausea, vomiting, hypotension, respiratory depression, and pruritus allergic reaction were looked for. RESULTS: Mean onset of analgesia was 14.66+4.34 (S. D) minutes in group-A, and in group-B was 34.76+5.73 (S. D) minutes. The Statistical analysis by Student's unpaired t-test showed that time of onset of analgesia in group-A was significantly less when compared to group-B. (t = 15.29 with df-54,