Gaston Labat, John Lundy, Emery Rovenstine, and the Mayo Clinic: the spread of regional anesthesia in America between the World Wars.
The spread of regional anesthesia in America was greatly facilitated by the work of Gaston Labat. Recruited to work at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Labat there published his seminal textbook, Regional Anesthesia, in which he laid out his techniques to the next generation of physician specialists, notably John Lundy, Ralph Waters, and Emery Rovenstine. It was Rovenstine who was responsible for creating the specialty of anesthesiology in the 1920s and 1930s. John Lundy continued Labat's work at the Mayo Clinic when Labat left for Bellevue Hospital in New York. There, while teaching, Labat further developed and refined his techniques for delivering regional anesthesia.
Bacon
Douglas R
DR
Department of Anesthesiology, Ch 1-108, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. douglas@mayo.edu
D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006770:Hospitals, Group Practice / Q000266:history; D006801:Humans; D008910:Minnesota; D014481:United States