The development of education in anesthesia in the United States

Abstract

In 1850, four years after Morton's demonstration, Surgeon Warren described adequate anesthesia care: Have a dedicated person continuously deliver anesthesia to a fasting supine patient; administer anesthesia sufficient to produce relaxation; beware of obstructing breathing; and don't set fire to the operating room. Between 1847 and 1858, Snow documented how to safely give and assess ether and chloroform anesthesia. From 1860 to 1900, no formal training programs in anesthesiology existed. Surgeons, interns, medical students, nurses, and orderlies gave anesthetics. In 1916, surgeon Gatch, President of the American Association of Anesthetists, advocated training medical students and interns in anesthesia. In the 1910s-1920s, a few physician anesthetists, such as Botsford and Herb, established teaching programs.