Book Notices

 

Available for purchase via the History of Anaesthesia Society:

 

  'Henry Hill Hickman'

by Dr W D A Smith

£10 + p&p

***********************************************

The Development of Inhalational Anaesthesia

by Barbara Duncum

£10 + p&p

***********************************************

Essays on the History of Anaesthesia

£10 + p&p

***********************************************

SISHA Proceedings

£65 + £5.75p&p

                                                                    Further details from Dr Anne Florence   gasflo@btinternet.com

 

Dr John Snow (1813 - 1858)   His Early Years

By Dr Spence Galbraith

 

Dr John Snow (1813 - 1858) was a famous physician, widely recognised as a leading pioneer in the development of anaesthesia in Britain, as well as one of the founding fathers of epidemiology.  His fundamental work in these two fields has been the subject of several books and numerous papers, some of which included brief accounts of his life.  Dr Spence Galbraith is the first to research and produce a detailed account of the family and early life of Dr John Snow.  Through the 68 pages, Dr Galbraith takes us from the birth of John Snow up to his graduation in medicine from the University of London, highlighting important events and also insights, via Snow's apprenticeships, into general practice during this period.  The book includes 33 figures and illustrations, many which have not been previously published.

 

To order your copy of the book or for more information on becoming a member of the John Snow Society, please contact Hannah Burke at johnsnowsociety@riph.org.uk.  The Royal Institute of Public Health administers the John Snow Society.  For more information on the Institute, please visit our website  www.riph.org.uk .  Book price = £15 (£12 to John Snow Society members).

 

                                Diary of a Doctor

        Surgeon's Assistant in Newcastle 1826 - 1829

                                    Thomas Giordani Wright

                        Extracts edited by Alastair Johnson

 

Available from:  Publications, City Library, Princess Square, 

                            Newcastle upon Tyne    NE99 1DX

   Paperback, illustrated, 96 pages, Price £6.99

                                  ***********************************************

Tarnished Idol:  William Thomas Green Morton and the Introduction of Surgical Anaesthesia - A Chronicle of the Ether Controversy     Richard J Wolfe.     Norman Publishing.  July 2001          672 pp. 60 illus. 

ISBN 0-939495-81-1.   $125

This is the first serious, scholarly biography of William Thomas Green Morton, which also provides views of many outstanding personalities of the American scene during that period.  It is also the first detailed analysis of the "ether controversy" with the physician-chemist Charles T. Jackson.  From exhaustive research in genealogical and land registry records, unpublished correspondence and manuscript sources, Richard Wolfe presents a far different picture of Morton and his involvement in the ether controversy from what was previously believed.   Much of the information is presented here for the first time.

For orders        Phone 1-800-544-9359                 

Email  orders@jnorman.com

Outside USA    Phone 415-456-6507          Fax  415-456-6511

By mail   Norman Publishing, P.O. Box 2566, San Anselmo, CA  94979-2566, USA

 

A review of this book appears in Proceedings HAS  Vol 30.

                          ********************

A New Novel

Ether Day     

Julie M Fenster, New York, Harper Collins  2001   $24

A dramatization of the events surrounding 16th October 1846.  It is unusual in providing much more biographical information about Charles T. Jackson than is available elsewhere.

Available from Amazon

                                        ********************

Primary Sources

Littell's Living Age was a magazine published in Boston at the time of the introduction of ether anaesthesia.  It contained some of the early reports and correspondence.  Especially interesting is the account by the lawyer George Dana, which appeared on 18 March 1848, vol 16, pages 529 - 571.  In the same year there was a report from the Massachusetts General Hospital, and some correspondence, which can be found in vol 17, pages 491 and 565 - 569.

Littell's Living World is now accessible on the World Wide Web

 

 

Proceedings of the History of Anaesthesia Society

 

There may be previous editions of the Proceedings available for purchase, and the list below may be out of date. The Society is now actually seeking copies of volumes 3,5,6a, 6b and 28 for the archive. If you have a few spares lying around, contact Anne.

 The cost of those published from 1986 - 1999 is £4 + pp

The cost of those published after 2000 is £6 + pp

Year Volume Readily available In store
1986 - 88 1 and 2 10 21
1989 6a 11  
  6b 11 3
1990 7 11 16
  8a 10  
  8b 11 2
1991 9a 16 7
  9b 11 10
  10 12  
1992 11 9 25
1993 12 11 22
  13 12 13
  14 3  
1994 15 10 18
  16 10 1
1995 17 10  
  18 11 23
1996 19 10 12
1997 20 10 61
  21 10 36
1998 22 10  
  23 10 8
  24 12 26
1999 25 3  
  26 11 7
2000 27 13 56
2001 29 13 12
2002 31 10 14
2003 33 10 28
2004 34 10 11
2004/5 35 10 44

The Society wishes to obtain copies of volume 30. Please contact the secretary!

 

Contact   Dr Anne M Florence, Hon.Secretary at 49 Howey Lane, Frodsham, WA6 6DD

    e-mail gasflo@btinternet.com (this is the best route of contact)

    Tel  +44 [0] 1928 731888