|  he
year 1904 saw the development of Novocaine (as a
replacement for Freud’s cocaine); the penning
of Freud’s psychosexual theories; and the
year “Fred” Erdmann began planning for
the Long Island Society of Anesthetists.
Before promoting “free association”
as talking therapy, Dr. Sigmund Freud (above) had
tried mesmerizing patients with “animal
magnetism.” Perhaps recalling Freud and early
hypnotists, today’s anesthesiologist can make
preoperative suggestions to allay patients’
fears and even reduce their perioperative drug loads.
Forsaking Freud’s efforts to treat patients’
depression and fatigue, co-worker Carl Koller (left)
promoted cocaine instead as a local anesthetic for
eye surgery. Freud saluted his colleague as “Coca
Koller.”
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George S. Bause, M.D., is Associate Clinical
Professor, Case Western Reserve University,
Cleveland, Ohio. |
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