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THE ‘COMPLEAT’ ANAESTHETIST
" / would have everie man write what he knowes and no more."—MONTAIGNE
BRITISH
JOURNAL OF
ANAESTHESIA
VOL. XXXI, No. 6
JUNE 1959
EDITORIAL THE ' COMPLEAT ' ANAESTHETIST
•Symposium on Pulmonary Ventilation. Papers and Discussion. Edited by Dr. R. P. Harbord and Professor R. Woolmer. Published in 1959 by Messrs. John Sherratt and Son under the auspices of the British Journal of Anaesthesia.
and may find it difficult to determine how best to spend his time, energy, and talents. It must never be forgotten that the first duty of the anaesthetist is to anaesthetize his patient, to become a skilled technician, and a good doctor ; many will be content to stop there. The problems arise in the operating theatre, the solution often is only to be found at the University Department in conjunction with a pharmacologist, a physiologist, and a biochemist. It adds immensely to the interest and life of an anaesthetist if he can find the time and has the ability to take part in such investigations. It is ridiculous that senior men ' Circled through all experience' should spend all their time doing routine work equally well done by their juniors. On the other hand many men when they become Professors and Directors of Departments seem no longer able to pursue directly the subject to which so far they have devoted their lives and must spend the rest of their days in sitting on committees. ' They also serve . . .' and in the long view, -their contribution to the specialty may be greater. It seems unfortunate, however, that after years of research and teaching they may appear to become almost exclusively employed in political activity and administration.. To steer between these unpleasant extremes needs foresight and judgement.
237
Downloaded from http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/ at Fudan University on May 12, 2015
THE Symposium on Pulmonary Ventilation* edited by Dr. Harbord and Professor Woolmer long expected has at last arrived. It is tastefully bound and clearly printed and we feel impelled to congratulate die publishers on its excellent appearance. We must leave to others the task of reviewing the contents, but if they in any way match the outside we hope this volume is the first of a long series which all interested in the subjects discussed will want to possess. The appearance of the symposium draws attention to the enormous extension of the territory over which anaesthesia has spread itself in the last thirty years. The improved financial position of anaesthetists which has followed on the establishment of the Association of Anaesthetists and inauguration of the National Health Service has attracted men to the subject who, although they might have been interested in anaesthesia, would formerly have felt that they could not afford to take the subject up as their life work. This influx of talent has naturally led to a great increase in research and opened up so many fields to the anaesthetist of to-day that he is sometimes embarrassed with riches
BRITISH
JOURNAL OF
ANAESTHESIA
VOL. XXXI, No. 6
JUNE 1959
EDITORIAL THE ' COMPLEAT ' ANAESTHETIST
•Symposium on Pulmonary Ventilation. Papers and Discussion. Edited by Dr. R. P. Harbord and Professor R. Woolmer. Published in 1959 by Messrs. John Sherratt and Son under the auspices of the British Journal of Anaesthesia.
and may find it difficult to determine how best to spend his time, energy, and talents. It must never be forgotten that the first duty of the anaesthetist is to anaesthetize his patient, to become a skilled technician, and a good doctor ; many will be content to stop there. The problems arise in the operating theatre, the solution often is only to be found at the University Department in conjunction with a pharmacologist, a physiologist, and a biochemist. It adds immensely to the interest and life of an anaesthetist if he can find the time and has the ability to take part in such investigations. It is ridiculous that senior men ' Circled through all experience' should spend all their time doing routine work equally well done by their juniors. On the other hand many men when they become Professors and Directors of Departments seem no longer able to pursue directly the subject to which so far they have devoted their lives and must spend the rest of their days in sitting on committees. ' They also serve . . .' and in the long view, -their contribution to the specialty may be greater. It seems unfortunate, however, that after years of research and teaching they may appear to become almost exclusively employed in political activity and administration.. To steer between these unpleasant extremes needs foresight and judgement.
237
Downloaded from http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/ at Fudan University on May 12, 2015
THE Symposium on Pulmonary Ventilation* edited by Dr. Harbord and Professor Woolmer long expected has at last arrived. It is tastefully bound and clearly printed and we feel impelled to congratulate die publishers on its excellent appearance. We must leave to others the task of reviewing the contents, but if they in any way match the outside we hope this volume is the first of a long series which all interested in the subjects discussed will want to possess. The appearance of the symposium draws attention to the enormous extension of the territory over which anaesthesia has spread itself in the last thirty years. The improved financial position of anaesthetists which has followed on the establishment of the Association of Anaesthetists and inauguration of the National Health Service has attracted men to the subject who, although they might have been interested in anaesthesia, would formerly have felt that they could not afford to take the subject up as their life work. This influx of talent has naturally led to a great increase in research and opened up so many fields to the anaesthetist of to-day that he is sometimes embarrassed with riches