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1910–1950: Anesthesia Before, During, and After Two World Wars

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The Wondrous Story of Anesthesia

Abstract

A renaissance in anesthesia, particularly in the US and GB, occurred between 1910 and 1950. World War I drew physicians into anesthesia and forced some technical improvements such as the Boyles anesthetic machine and a use of blood transfusions. Guedel developed his technique for defining depth of anesthesia. As the numbers of anesthetists grew in the US, two societies arose: the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the International Anesthesia Research Society, and in Great Britain the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland. Academic departments developed at the University of Wisconsin (Waters chair); Harvard (Beecher) and Oxford (Macintosh). In combination, the societies and academic departments increased recognition of the role of the anesthetist and improved quality through education and examination for certification/credentialing. Similar developments occurred in the rest of the world in subsequent years.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Dr. Jane Fitch and her associate, Dr. Vaidy Rao, noted to EIE that the University of Oklahoma should be given recognition as one of the earliest’if not the first’departments of anesthesia. “This department was not organized until 1930, at which time John Alfred Morrett, M.D., became its head, from 1930 to 1938…Floyd Jackson Bolend, M.D…(was)…head of the hospital Department of Anesthesia until 1930, at which time the School of Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology was formed.”

  2. 2.

    George E. Battit:Henry K Beecher and the Early Years of the Anesthesia Service.Chapter5 in the privately published book

  3. 3.

    Australasia refers to Australia and New Zealand, as in the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Edmond I Eger II MD

  2. Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Rod N. Westhorpe OAM MB BS FRCA FANZCA

  3. Departments of Anesthesia, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Lawrence J. Saidman

Authors
  1. Edmond I Eger II MD
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  2. Rod N. Westhorpe OAM MB BS FRCA FANZCA
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  3. Lawrence J. Saidman
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Correspondence to Edmond I Eger II MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Edmond I Eger II MD Emeritus Professor

  2. Departments of Anesthesia, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Lawrence J. Saidman MD Emeritus Professor

  3. Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Rod N. Westhorpe OAM, MB, BS FRCA, FANZCA Former Honorary Curator

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© 2014 Edmond I Eger, MD

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Eger, E., Westhorpe, R., Saidman, L. (2014). 1910–1950: Anesthesia Before, During, and After Two World Wars. In: Eger II, E., Saidman, L., Westhorpe, R. (eds) The Wondrous Story of Anesthesia. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8441-7_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8441-7_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-8440-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-8441-7

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