Anesthesiology

There are four basic articles of operating room clothing: gowns, caps, masks, and gloves. It is unclear from historical commentaries when each article achieved general acceptance and became consistently worn by surgeons and by anesthesia providers. In this issue of Anesthesiology, Adams and his colleagues examined over 1,000 historical photographs taken between 1863 and 1969 and pieced together time lines for the adoption of each basic article of surgical attire.

• Adams et al.: Uncovering the History of Operating Room Attire through Photographs, p. 19