The history of anesthesia is one of the more manageable and fascinating specialty areas in the history of medicine. Owing to the relatively short and clearly defined time period covered, it remains within the ability of a student to encompass the history of anesthesia. The great interest of the field derives from the rapid introduction of surgical anesthesia as well as the drama associated with the various and violent priority claims.
Faulconer and Keys avoid involvement in disputes of priority. They publish Long's account of his use of ether, and Wells's on nitrous oxide. But since Foundations of Anesthesiology is organized chronologically according to date of publication, and since Bigelow's and Morton's papers antedated Long's and Wells's, the former therefore appear here first. None of Jackson's publications are reprinted.
The selection of material for inclusion has been, on the whole, admirable. Almost all of the 151 communications are unabridged, and