The Anaesthesia Heritage Centre at the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland was founded from a donation by A Charles King but has since embraced numerous contributions. The collection encompasses the entire history of anaesthesia, from Morton’s demonstration of ether inhalation in 1846 to modern anaesthetic machines and appliances still in use today. An archive and library provide excellent facilities for research into the history of anaesthesia.
The Riddle of Shock
We are producing a series of four temporary exhibitions honouring the work of the doctors who gave anaesthesia and pain relief to wounded people during the First World War. The four exhibitions, each lasting a year, will explore the development of anaesthesia and pain relief and how the status of anaesthesia changed during this time. The exhibitions started in 2014 and will end in 2018. Our second and current exhibition focuses on the riddle of shock.
