 he
Lewis H. Wright Memorial Lecture is sponsored annually
by the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology (WLM)
and honors its namesake, who was a pioneer in American
anesthesiology. Dr. Wright was committed to enhancing
the stature of anesthesiology as a clinical science
and as an advanced medical specialty. He was a founding
member of the WLM Board of Trustees and later served
as its president emeritus. In 1973, the New York
State Society of Anesthesiologists endowed this
lectureship to honor Dr. Wright, who died in 1974.
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| Rodney N. Westhorpe, M.B.,
B.S., F.R.C.A., F.A.N.Z.C.A. |
This year’s distinguished guest is Rodney
(Rod) Neill Westhorpe, M.B., M.S., F.R.C.A., F.A.N.Z.C.A.,
Councillor, Australian and New Zealand College of
Anaesthetists; Past President of the Australian
Society of Anaesthetists (1998-2000); and Specialist
Paediatric Anaesthetist, Royal Children’s
Hospital, Melbourne.
Dr. Westhorpe is a third-generation Australian whose
great grandparents emigrated from England, Ireland
and Scotland.
In 1977, he graduated from Monash University Medical
School and served as a resident medical house officer
at Australia’s Ballarat Base Hospital (1972-74).
He then spent two years in England as a Senior House
Officer in Anaesthesia. After an appointment as
a senior registrar at Hammersmith Hospital, Dr.
Westhorpe returned to Melbourne and has practiced
at the Royal Children’s Hospital for 30 years.
During this long tenure, Dr. Westhorpe’s clinical
practice included anesthesia for all types of pediatric
surgery. Coincidentally he developed a talent for
medical administration. He served as the Chairman
of the Victorian Section of the Australian Society
of Anaesthetists and, in 1987, was a founding member
of the Australian Patient Safety Foundation. His
commitment to anesthesia and organized medicine
was recognized when he was elected as President
of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists (1998-2000).
From 1995 to June this year, Dr. Westhorpe was a
councillor of the Australian and New Zealand College
of Anaesthetists. This board sets the standards
for anesthesia training programs, executes examinations
and oversees continuing medical education programs.
As one of 12 elected councillors, Dr. Westhorpe
played a pivotal role in the governance of the College.
In 1995, Dr. Westhorpe joined the editorial board
of the journal Anaesthesia and Intensive Care.
Each month the iconic cover features a significant
piece of equipment with a special relevance to our
practice. The “cover notes” or description
of the artifact and its place in history have become
the hallmark of this journal. Since 1989, Dr.Westhorpe,
assisted by Christine Ball, M.D., has designed 83
covers and authored the corresponding “cover
notes.” Some of the artifacts he has highlighted
include Vaporisers, Trendelenberg’s Cone,
Magill’s Larnyngoscope and White’s Ethyl
Chloride Inhaler. His topics have spanned a century
and a half, and he has even described “modern
inventions” such as etomidate and propanidid.
Dr. Westhorpe has a special interest in the history
of barbiturates and has shared his perspective on
their introduction into clinical practice. In 1997,
he was appointed Honorary Curator, Geoffrey Kaye
Museum of Anaesthesia History at the Australian
and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists in Melbourne.
Lewis H. Wright Memorial Lecture
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
12:50 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.
Moscone Center South, Gateway Ballroom 102
This year’s Lewis H. Wright Memorial Lecture
is titled “He Took It Well, Didn’t He?”
Dr. Kasner Moss, a pioneer Australian anaesthetist,
made this statement in 1921. He observed, “After
a successful anaesthetic of 3-4 hours, the surgeon
doesn’t congratulate the anaesthetist, he simply
remarks ‘He took it well didn’t he?’”
In this year’s lecture, Dr. Westhorpe will reveal
the evolution of medical professionals throughout
the ages. While medicine was a respected endeavor
in Egyptian, Greek and Roman times, its place in society’s
hierarchy fell during the Middle Ages. Priests held
the upper hand; although physicians advanced in status,
surgeons were held in less esteem. This hierarchy
changed during the major wars of the 17th and 18th
centuries. As surgeons developed more sophisticated
instruments and techniques, their skills were recognized
and valued. In turn, physicians and surgeons sought
to gain the public’s support and approval. Advancement
and promotion were not always based on merit and achievement.
This flaw motivated physicians and surgeons to conduct
more rigorous training and specialization. In the
1840s, there were obstetricians and surgeons, but
there were no anesthetists. Dr. Crawford W. Long,
a surgeon, and William T.G. Morton, a dentist, were
administering anesthesia in America, and soon, general
practitioners incorporated this skill into their practices.
How then did anesthesiologists and anesthetists distinguish
themselves in this environment? Dr. Westhorpe will
analyze this struggle for status and recognition.
He will highlight key events in our specialty’s
development and will pay special attention to the
relationship between anesthetists and surgeons. He
will recount the contributions of prominent anesthetists
through the world. Dr. Westhorpe will describe the
evolution of the practitioner “chloroformist
or etherizer” to “anesthetist.”
The WLM is proud to have Rod Westhorpe as the 2007
Lewis H. Wright Memorial Lecturer. Under his direction
the cover note for the journal Anesthesia and
Intensive Care has become an iconic feature.
Each month we are reminded of the drugs, equipment
and people who have influenced our clinical practice.
With his stewardship, the Geoffrey Kaye Museum of
Anaesthesia History has flourished and is a remarkable
institution that honors the history of anesthesiology.
We thank Dr. Westhorpe for sharing his perspective
on the evolution of the anesthetist and for recognizing
the achievements of our forefathers.
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|
Susan
A. Vassallo, M.D., is Anesthetist and Assistant
Professor of Anaesthesia, Massachusetts General
Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston,
Massachusetts. |
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