Queen Elizabeth Health Complex, Montreal, Quebec - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

Anesthesiology has come a long way since Dr. Crawford Long first used ether during an operation to remove a tumor in 1842. Long, who has appeared on a U.S. postage stamp, got the idea after attending “laughing gas parties” and “ether frolics” when he lived in Philadelphia. He noticed that people under the influence of the vapors apparently felt little or no pain when they tripped and fell. (Seems like Elvis isn’t the only substance abuser to have been honored on a postage stamp.)

Modern anesthesia involves much more than just being knocked unconscious. Pain blocking and muscle relaxing (to prevent muscles from moving during surgery) are equally as important. Much pioneering work on the use of muscle relaxants during surgery was done by Dr. Harold Griffith in the 1940s. His drug of choice was curare, the same stuff used on poison darts. Dr. Griffith’s contributions to the field of anesthesiology have earned him a number of awards and medals, including being commemorated on this Canadian postage stamp.

Pictured behind Dr. Griffith on the stamp is the former Montreal Homoeopathic Hospital where his work with curare was carried out. It was renamed the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 1951 after Queen Elizabeth, wife of George VI, who became affectionately known as the “Queen Mum.” The building was substantially renovated in the early 1960s but by 1995, this hospital was slated to be closed as a cost-cutting measure. In response, the hospital’s board and foundation banded together with other community groups to form the Centre-West Community Health Corporation, a non-profit organization which manages the hospital to this day.

Stamp Issuing Country: Canada Date of Issue: 15-Mar-1991 Denomination: 40c Color: multicolored Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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