The evolution of anaesthesia as a specialty in Canada

Abstract

Since 1847 anaesthesia in Canada has evolved through six phases. In the first (1847-1898), it was a craft without an academic and professional base. The second (1899-1919) was marked by the first academic appointments and by Canadians' wartime experiences of anaesthesia. The third phase (1920-1929) evidenced the professional satisfaction of anaesthesia and included the founding of the Canadian Society of Anaesthetists. In the fourth phase (1930-1943) the growth of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the introduction of certification and the founding of the definitive professional society--the Canadian Anaesthetists' Society--fostered the evolution of what was now becoming a recognizable specialty. The fifth phase (1944-1971) was one of resolution of problems affecting the status of anaesthesia: the first autonomous department of anaesthesia in a Canadian university was founded (at McGill in 1945), the Royal College Fellowship was approved for anaesthesia (in 1951), the Canadian Anaesthetists' Society Journal was launched (in 1954) and a single standard for certification of specialists was finally established (in 1971). In the sixth (1972-1989), the main elements were the assumption of responsibility for residency training by the universities and by the renaming of the journal as the Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia. Through these years of increasing professionalism, it has, however, been the accomplishments of individual Canadian physicians, facing many challenges, that have made the specialty in Canada recognizably Canadian.

Pioneers in Anesthesia: The Bourne Generation

“…Among the numerous awards and honors he received, highlights included the prestigious Henry Hill Hickman Medal from the Royal Society of Medicine and the first Gold Medal of the Canadian Anesthetists' Society (14). Bourne was also elected president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in 1942 and remains the only non-American ever to hold this position (15). He represented Canada on a global scale, pronouncing to the world to the accomplishments and discoveries of Canadian clinicians.…”

“…Prior to the second world war, no formal education existed for the up and coming anesthetist. Dr. Bourne and a few other Montreal colleagues started offering intensive courses to medical officers from the Canadian Armed Forces (15). The four-month course was organized to teach both the basic science and clinical aspects of anesthesiology with practical applications for the ongoing war.…”