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great ASA seal [Figure 1] contains three stars just
after the phrase, “Founded in 1905.”
The seal is the everyday representation of the Society
and is seen everywhere: It is on the masthead of
ASA’s journal Anesthesiology, the
ASA NEWSLETTER and on official documents from
the organization. Each one of those stars represents
an organization that preceded the current ASA: the
Long Island Society of Anesthetists, the New York
Society of Anesthetists and the American Society
of Anesthetists. Let us look at these organizations
and their beginnings.1
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Figure 1:
Seal of the American Society
of Anesthesiologists. |
The Founding Nine
On October 6, 1905, nine physicians gathered at
what is now the Long Island College of Medicine
in Brooklyn, New York, and formed the Long Island
Society of Anesthetists. This all-male group was
brought together by Adolph F. Erdmann, M.D., with
the expressed purpose of advancing the science and
art of anesthesiology. Meetings were held quarterly
and, after a brief business session, were devoted
to clinical anesthesiology. Many of the papers stressed
matching the anesthetic to the patient. Dues were
$1.2
It was an exciting time to be interested in anesthesiology.
Spinal anesthesia had been demonstrated in Germany
and had then crossed to the United States. Procaine
was introduced in 1905, replacing cocaine as the
local anesthetic of choice.3
There was only one other society in the world devoted
to anesthesiology: The London Society of Anaesthetists!*
*The London Society
became the Section on Anaesthetics in the British
Medical Association about 1920.
First Star
On May 31, 1911, the first star was added to the yet-to-be-designed
seal. The Long Island Society of Anesthetists changed
its name and become the New York Society of Anesthetists.
The reason for the name change was a direct outgrowth
of the success of the Society; more people from the
greater New York City area wished to participate in
the Society. For the next 25 years, this group would
slowly expand from the 20 members present at the inaugural
meeting to a national society.2
The meeting format was not different from the original
Long Island Society — quarterly meetings demonstrated
the best that science and clinical studies could offer
to the new specialty. Dues, however, were increased
to $3 per year.
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Figure 2:
Adolph F. Erdmann, M.D.,
circa 1956. (Photograph courtesy of the
Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology) |
The New York Society of Anesthetists made two major
contributions to the specialty. In 1912 the Society
put forth a resolution to the American Medical Association
(AMA) asking for a section to be created within AMA
so that issues germane to the specialty could be discussed.
The AMA House of Delegates voted against the resolution;
in response, the first national anesthesiology society,
the Associated Anesthetists of America, was formed.
James T. Gwathmey, M.D., the New York Society president,
was elected the first president of the Associated
Anesthetists of America.2
Second Star
The second major contribution of the New York Society
of Anesthetists was the creation of a new class of
members designated as “Fellows of the New York
State Society” in 1934. Fellowship criteria
matched AMA standards for specialty certification.
This effort was rewarded as the membership ranks swelled
with physicians from across the United States who
joined the Society and wished to be recognized as
“Fellows” and thus as specialists in anesthesiology.
AMA noticed as well, but before the labors of the
New York Society could be recognized, the Society’s
name needed to be changed to reflect its national
character. On February 13, 1936, the New York Society
of Anesthetists ceased to exist; thus a second star
was added to the Society’s seal, designed in
1934.2*
*The ASA seal depicts
the role of theanesthesiologist in patient care:
“The patient is represented as (a ship)
sailing in the troubled sea with the clouds of
doubt and waves of terror being guided by the
skillful pilot (anesthesiologist) with constant
and eternal (stars) vigilance (motto) by the dependable
(firmly based lighthouse) knowledge of the art
and science of sleep (moon) to a safe (shield)
and happy outcome of his voyage through the realms
of the unknown. The perfect circle denotes the
unity of a closed group (the Society).”
As presented by its designer, Paul M. Wood, M.D.
(April 13, 1932).
Third Star
The American Society of Anesthetists, the seal’s
third star, existed from 1936 until 1945. This group
oversaw the creation and development of the American
Board of Anesthesiology in 19384;
the publication of the second U.S. journal devoted
to the specialty, Anesthesiology, in 19405;
and the creation of short courses in anesthesia for
the armed services during World War II.2
Thus in the short nine years of its life, the American
Society of Anesthetists created most of the infrastructure
that anesthesiology currently enjoys.
On April 12, 1945, the Society officially became the
American Society of Anesthesiologists. In December
the first PostGraduate Assembly, or PGA, was held
in New York City, and the meeting functioned as an
Annual Meeting for the Society.2
Through the rest of the 1940s, the governance of the
Society would change to its modern form with component
societies and an Annual Meeting. ASA became the voice
of American anesthesiology to the nation and the world.5
100 Years and Growing
As the days approach to the centennial of the founding
of ASA, it is important to remember that nine physicians
started our Society based on the desire to learn more
about the administration of anesthetics. To fulfill
this need, education focused not only on the clinical
administration of the anesthetic but also the scientific
reasons why events occurred during anesthesia in the
manner that they did and continue to do. Early in
its history, organized physician anesthetists recognized
that there also was a political agenda that had to
be met if the specialty was to survive. Almost 100
years later, we continue to learn these lessons.
References:
1. Letter from Paul M. Wood, M.D., to Winthrop H.
Hall, M.D., June 5, 1961. The Collected Papers of
Paul M. Wood, M.D., Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
Collection, Park Ridge, IL..
2. Betcher AM, Ciliberti BJ, Wood PM, Wright LH. The
jubilee year of organized anesthesia. Anesthesiology.
1956; 17:226-263.
3. Bacon DR. Regional anesthesia and chronic pain
therapy: A history. In: Brown DL, ed. Regional
Anesthesia and Analgesia. Philadelphia: WB Saunders
Co; 1996:10-22.
4. Bacon DR, Lema MJ. To define a specialty: A brief
history of the American Board of Anesthesiology’s
first written examination. J Clin Anesth.
1992; 4:489-497.
5. Bacon DR. The promise of one great anesthesia society:
The 1939-1940 proposed merger of the American Society
of Anesthetists and the International Anesthesia Research
Society. Anesthesiology. 1994; 80:929-935.
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Douglas R. Bacon, M.D., is Professor of Anesthesiology
and the History of Medicine, and Chair, Section
on Anesthesia History, Mayo Clinic College of
Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota. |
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