This photographic reenactment of William T. G. Morton’s 1846 ether administration (above) was a centerpiece of the nine historical vignettes featured in the anesthesia exhibit at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Paul M. Wood, M.D. (1894 to 1963, third from right), and his physician colleagues were seeking recognition for anesthesiology as an independent medical specialty almost a century after Morton had publicly used ether as a surgical anesthetic. Featuring a live mock anesthetic within a modern operating room, Wood’s anesthesia section enthralled millions of visitors with its eye-catching and educational displays. At the same time, the exhibit also highlighted anesthesia’s prominent role in the history of medicine. As we celebrate the 175th anniversary (demisemiseptcentennial!) of Morton’s ether demonstration this October, let us also recognize Dr. Paul Wood for his advocacy and his founding of the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology, which continues to “advance our specialty by preserving and sharing its heritage and knowledge.” (Copyright © the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology.)
This photographic reenactment of William T. G. Morton’s 1846 ether administration (above) was a centerpiece of the nine historical vignettes featured in the anesthesia exhibit at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Paul M. Wood, M.D. (1894 to 1963, third from right), and his physician colleagues were seeking recognition for anesthesiology as an independent medical specialty almost a century after Morton had publicly used ether as a surgical anesthetic. Featuring a live mock anesthetic within a modern operating room, Wood’s anesthesia section enthralled millions of visitors with its eye-catching and educational displays. At the same time, the exhibit also highlighted anesthesia’s prominent role in the history of medicine. As we celebrate the 175th anniversary (demisemiseptcentennial!) of Morton’s ether demonstration this October, let us also recognize Dr. Paul Wood for his advocacy and his founding of the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology, which continues to “advance our specialty by preserving and sharing its heritage and knowledge.” (Copyright © the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology.)
Melissa L. Coleman, M.D., Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, and Jane S. Moon, M.D., University of California, Los Angeles, California.
