Ireland has a long history when it comes to the development of medicine and surgery as we know it today. Many Irish physicians such as Stokes, Graves, Colles, Freyer and McCarrison, amongst others, made significant contributions to their respective fields that are still evident today.
In Anaesthesia, Sir Ivan Whiteside Magill (23 July 1888 – 25 November 1986) was an innovative and pioneering Irish born Anaesthetist responsible for the development of numerous pieces of anaesthetic equipment, and advancement of the field as an independent speciality. Amongst his innovations, the single-tube technique of endotracheal anaesthesia was perhaps one of the most significant advances in the history of the provision of safe anaesthesia. Other inventions and techniques of his devise still being being used today include the endotracheal tube, an anaesthetic breathing system (Magill circuit and expiratory valve), intubating forceps (Magill Forceps), straight bladed laryngoscope, catheter mount (endotracheal tube-to-circuit connector), glottic anaesthesia (Magill tracheal spray), single-lung anaesthesia, endobronchial tubes, bronchial blockers and the bobbin flowmeter. Pivotal to the professional development of the speciality, he helped establish the Diploma in Anaesthesia and the Association of Anaesthetists in 1932.
Another notable Irish anaesthetist, Dr Mary Frances Lehane (19 March 1944 - 18 November 2013) was a pioneering clinical researcher making significant advances in our understanding of malignant hyperpyrexia, most notably contributing to the discovery of the genetic link between this rare condition and chromosome 19. The resulting publication in the journal ‘’Nature‘’ in 1990 was a first for Anaesthesia in Ireland.
The Irish Journal of Anaesthesia is representing a new milestone in the field of Anaesthesia in Ireland, not only through the support of original research but also through the support of continued education and training.
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