January 2011, Vol 29 - Anesthesia History Association

A H A
volume 29, number 1
JANUARY 2011
Patrick P. Sim, M.L.S. (1939-2010)
2 BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY
Remembering Patrick P. Sim, M.L.S. (1939-2010):
Our “Tiger Amongst the Tomes” at
America’s Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
By George S. Bause, M.D., M.P.H., Honorary Curator, Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology, Park Ridge, Illinois and
Clinical Associate Professor, Schools of Medicine and of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
and
Charles C. Tandy, M.D.
Trustee and Past-President, Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology, Park Ridge, Illinois and
Clinical Professor (Ret.), University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas
In Chinese folklore, the adventurous
Tiger demonstrated loyalty, vigilance and
courage. Such attributes were shared by
a gentleman and scholar who drew both
his first and final breaths in Years of the
Tiger, Patrick Pui-Kam Sim, M.L.S. (19392010). Curatorially described as stalking
through the stacks like a “Tiger Amongst
the Tomes” for America’s Wood LibraryMuseum of Anesthesiology (WLM),
Librarian Sim spent the final 39 years of
his life safeguarding the world’s largest
collection of anesthesia-related antiquarian treasures.
Enter the Tiger: “The Tail End”
(1939-45). Mr. Sim’s remarkable life began
on January 9, 1939, at the “tail end”* of the
Chinese Year of the Tiger. Sim Pui-Kam
[“Cultivated-River” (the future “Patrick”)
Sim] was born in the British Crown Colony
of Hong Kong to housewife Sim (Doo)
Man-Ying and her husband Sim Sui-Chu.
Mrs. Sim taught her firstborn the value
of humility, patience, perseverance and
loyalty. An import-export businessman,
her husband believed in liberally educating children, even though his only degree
personally was his self-described “Ph.D. in
society.” Crediting his “Dad with fostering fascination for history,” Sim Pui-Kam
considered his father his “greatest role
model.” The Parents Sim advised Pui-Kam
that his future depended on his ability “to
constantly work and perform better.”
The Sim youngster’s future would also
hinge on his surviving World War II. Eight
hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbor,
Japanese Imperial forces attacked Hong
Kong. They captured that British Crown
Colony by “Black Christmas” of 1941.
Luckily, Sim Pui-Kam and his younger
sister were able to escape on one of the final
boats to flee Hong Kong for the Chinese
mainland. For the next several years, the
two lived with relatives in China.
Also fortunately, Sim Pui-Kam mastered
not only his family’s ancestral Chinese
dialect but also Standard Cantonese, which
was the preferred dialect for teaching
grammar school children back in his native
Hong Kong. A quick study, Sim Pui-Kam
would also learn the dialect of his future
wife, Mandarin Chinese, and also English,
the language that he would use in his
future career as an American librarian.
(Later, as Librarian Sim, he would confess
that lifelong he dreamed in Chinese and
that in some ways English was really his
“third or fourth language.” So, all of his
future scholarly works in English were his
“labors of love.”)
Return of the Tiger: Back to Hong
Kong (1945-62). Upon returning to Hong
Kong after hostilities ceased, Sim PuiKam’s ability to speak his second Chinese
dialect, Standard (Hong Kong) Cantonese,
“without an accent” was admired greatly
by his classmates. As for the written Chinese characters shared by all three of the
Chinese dialects that he had mastered-Sim Pui-Kam and most of his siblings
received formal calligraphy lessons from
a family cousin. As the eldest of the seven
Sim children, Sim Pui-Kam reveled in
reading books to his six siblings.
Growing up in the British Crown
Colony of Hong Kong, all seven Sim
children were familiar with both Chinese folklore and with English nursery
rhymes (like those by “Mother Goose”).
Rather than regarding Sim Pui-Kam as
a Chinese Tiger; his siblings considered
him a “Father Goose” for the loving and
parental way he looked after them. They
also respected his scholarship, which led
to his acceptance into St. Joseph’s College
(SJC) for his Ordinary Course of instruction from 1952-58.
There at SJC, Hong Kong’s leading
Catholic boys’ school, most classes were
conducted in English (or as Sim Pui-Kam
noted, “English with an Irish accent”).
His Irish mentors, the Lasallian Brothers who ran the school, soon christened
him “Patrick” after the Patron Saint of
Ireland. Considering himself a “product
of the Catholic missionary school,” Patrick observed later that the “regimental,
Spartan life from grade school to high
school seemed harsh in those days, but
re-thinking about it is romantic.” While
preparing in his senior year for the Joint
All-Hong Kong High School Certificate
Public Exam, Pat “started enjoying history.”
After graduating from SJC’s Ordinary Course of secondary education in
1958, Patrick was one of only 300 accepted from a 5,000-applicant pool for
SJC’s post-secondary college preparatory
course. “Two years at college prep levels
post-high school matriculation, provided
more perceptive training in history.” Our
hero, now nicknamed “Ah Sim,” and all his
SJC classmates considered their SJC education as “unstructured” yet invaluable
in affording students “freedom to think
and behave as intelligent and responsible
kids.” Teacher Chiu Wai-Sang provided
Pat with “the foundation to study Chinese
History and Literature.”
After SJC, Patrick attended the elite
Northcote Training College (NTC) from
1960-62. Named after Sir Geoffry Northcote, the 20th Governor of Hong Kong,
NTC provided a “British colonial education... aimed at educating a whole person.”
Teachers-in-training like Patrick were
prepared to mentor students on “almost all
subjects, from language, to civics, to physical education...up to Form III, roughly
equivalent to 8th grade.” His “two major
subjects were History and Geography.”
Flushing Out the Tiger: “An American
Adventure” (1962-67). Patrick’s best
friend, SJC classmate Paul Yue, had
completed one year of training in Hong
Kong at a different teaching college from
Patrick’s and had then transferred to
Northeast Missouri State Teachers College
(NEMO) in Kirksville, Missouri. After Pat
graduated from NTC, he followed his best
friend across the Pacific and joined him
in summer employment by waiting tables
at a Chinese restaurant in New Rochelle,
New York. There Pat initially “failed in a
Chinese waiter’s primary task of cooking
rice.” Pat would “burn the bottom, cook
the middle, and leave the top rice raw.”
(Tellingly, years later, his family would
describe Patrick as a marvelous cook.)
Following Paul to Kirksville, Pat
matriculated into the B.A. Program in
BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY 3
History at NEMO. Patrick fondly referred
to this move from Hong Kong as “an
American adventure.” Two people at
NEMO changed Patrick’s life forever.
Foremost, was “a beautiful and musical
Taiwanese girl” who enchanted him,
his future wife, Chang Shiu-Mei. A
second influence at NEMO was Professor
Arnold Zuckerman, Ph.D. (1926-2008).
Dr. Zuckerman was a Chicago-trained
historian who was a member of both the
American Society for Eighteenth-Century
Studies and the American Association
for the History of Medicine. Pat credited
Professor Zuckerman with fostering a
“fascination for the history of medicine.”
Changing Stripes: Switching to
Library Science (1967-70). In the autumn
of 1967, the Sim-Chang relationship became
a long-distance one. Shiu-Mei continued
musical studies at NEMO; Patrick began
Asian studies at the University of Kansas
(K.U.) at Lawrence. The two lovers were
married on December 30 of that year,
with Paul Yue as Best Man. Shiu-Mei
graduated in May of 1968 with her M.A.
in Music from NEMO, and the Sims spent
the summer of 1968 working in Chicago,
with Patrick waiting tables at a Chinese
restaurant. Unfortunately, on returning to
his Asian Studies at K.U., Pat encountered
his “darkest days” by the spring of 1969.
His K.U. mentors had disagreed on which
direction Patrick’s dissertation should take.
Listening to the sage advice of his motherin-law, who appreciated Pat’s love of books
and his fascination with libraries, Patrick
decided to forsake Asian Studies for Library
Science. The Tiger changed his stripes....
Pat spent the summer and fall of 1969
earning money just as he had previously,
by waiting tables in Chinese restaurants.
About the time he learned of his successful application to the Master’s program
in Library Science at the State University
of New York (SUNY) at Albany, Pat also
learned that his wife was pregnant. After
successfully transferring many of his K.U.
courses, Patrick completed his M.L.S. at
Albany in one grueling calendar year, from
January through December of 1970. (Down
the road, how many Ph.D.s working alongside Patrick would ever suspect that he had
completed more postgraduate coursework
than had many of them ?) Shiu-Mei blessed
Patrick with their firstborn, Gabriel, in
June of that busy year.
The nation’s leading librarianship program, SUNY Albany was founded by Melvil
Dewey just 13 years after his publication of
his “Dewey Decimal System” for classifying
library materials. At Albany, Patrick credited “two women with changing the course”
of his professional career. The first, SUNY
Albany Professor Pauline Vaillincourt,
introduced Patrick to the complexities
and nuances of medical librarianship;
the second lady, Marcia Davidoff,
supervised “Part-time Librarian Pat” at
the New York State Medical Library. It
was Librarian Davidoff who provided
Patrick with contacts (at the Chicago-based
Medical Library Association) who would
communicate his job availability to the
American Society of Anesthesiologists’
Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology,
which was located in nearby Park Ridge,
Illinois.
Eye of the Tiger: Safeguarding Family and Tradition (1968-2010). Patrick’s
siblings and his immediate young family
with Shiu-Mei all thought of him less as
the Tiger and more as a “Father Goose.”
Pat was the Sim Family’s historian and
genealogist. Patrick also cherished the fine
Chinese calligraphy that he had mastered
and all three dialects that he had learned
in pronouncing those characters in three
different ways. Avocationally, as a founding member in 1981 of the Chicago North
Chinese School, Patrick assisted ChineseAmericans throughout Chicagoland in
carrying on their studies of Chinese language, folk dance, Tai-Chi, brush painting,
knot making and other aspects of Chinese
culture.
Vocationally, Patrick delighted in tracing the spread of Chinese pulse diagnosis
and acupuncture to the West and the
dissemination in return of modern anesthesia and analgesia to China from the
West. “The Tiger” purred whenever he
examined acupuncturists’ tomes or the
Churchill acupuncture needles that the
authors had acquired for the WLM. Patrick
loved tracing how shamans, acupuncturists, pharmacists, physicians, surgeons,
and dentists took turns contributing to
advances in anesthesia and analgesia.
And since his older son had grown “up in
the ASA family,” Patrick had hoped that
Gabriel would pursue some sort of “painrelieving profession” as a career. Pat was
delighted when Gabriel chose to specialize
in “endodontics, which is also treating pain,
part of the work that anesthesiologists do.”
Patrick credited “Gabe’s interest in dental
science for encouraging this old librarian”
to re-examine the role that dentists played
in the history of anesthesia.
Besides “adding color” to Pat’s life, Mrs.
Shiu-Mei Chang Sim brought her proud
Chang Family musical heritage to the Sim
Household. An organist, violinist, conductor and composer, her paternal grandfather,
Chang Fu-Hsing, had pioneered the collecting and teaching of Taiwanese folk music.
Her father, Professor Chang Tsai-Hsiang,
had taught piano at the National Taiwan
Normal University School of Music, where.
Shiu-Mei had earned her B.A. in Music.
After moving from Taiwan to Missouri,
Shiu-Mei earned her M.A. in Music from
NEMO, where she had met Patrick. The
Sims were delighted when their younger
son, Claude, continued the Chang musical tradition-- as a concert, tango, and
jazz musician.
Now the Associate Concertmaster
for the Colorado Symphony Orchestra,
Claude acknowledges that his father
“didn’t possess any outstanding musical
talents. However, his love of music was
very deep. He frequently would hum the
opening tune of the Triple Concerto by
Beethoven” (another Tiger !). Although
Patrick made fun of “his own terrible
singing voice,” he was a founding member
of Chicago’s Chinese Fine Arts Society
(CFAS). He served many years on the
CFAS Board of Advisors, where President
Julie Tiao Ma considered him “the voice”
of the CFAS.
“In the ‘Wood’... a Tiger Amongst the
Tomes” (1971-2010). On a cold February
16th of 1971, the Tuesday after the President’s Day holiday, Dr. Charles Tandy
interviewed Patrick P. Sim, M.L.S. and
“hired him for minimum wage” as the
Librarian of the Wood Library-Museum
of Anesthesiology (WLM). Pat regarded
Dr. Tandy as one of his “own personal Mt.
Rushmore” of WLM Presidents. In succession, Drs. Charles Tandy, Garth Huston,
Elliott Miller, Donald Caton, Kathryn
McGoldrick, and William Hammonds
were, respectively, his “General” George
Washington, ”Intellectual” Thomas Jefferson, “Enforcer” Andrew Jackson, “New
Deal” Franklin Roosevelt, “Delegator”
Ronald Reagan, and “Gentleman” Jimmy
Carter. He compared current WLM
President Mary Ellen Warner to U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (“The
Diplomat”).
From his WLM start in 1971, Patrick
found himself in charge of an expanding
library and a shrinking gallery of antique
apparatus. In his self-described “rookie
year” as WLM Librarian, Pat collated the
Residents Reading List and the “History of
Anesthesiology” reprints. From 1971-88,
Patrick Sim served as the only WLM (and
ASA) reference librarian for past and
current publications and policies. From
1977-87, as the ASA expanded clerical offices into space previously devoted to the
WLM museum gallery, Patrick soon found
himself diving into the ASA’s dumpster
to recover items “mysteriously discarded
from the museum” by an over-zealous
administrator.
Continued on Page 4
4 BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY
As dear as the antiquarian books were
to Patrick, nothing was more important to
him than his professionalism and grace in
dealing with his staff and with the anesthesiologists they all served. After taking on
an Assistant Librarian, Patrick organized
the move of the WLM along with the ASA
in 1992 from Park Ridge’s Busse Highway
to Northwest Highway. There Pat would
eventually also supervise a Library Assistant, a Collections Supervisor, an Archivist,
and finally another Librarian. Also there,
Pat oversaw installation of mobile carriage
shelving and fire suppression systems
for the WLM’s Huston Rare Book Room
(RBR). As he paced nervously back and
forth during those RBR renovations near
his prized antiquarian treasures, Pat was
curatorially dubbed the WLM’s “Tiger
Amongst the Tomes.”
Exit the Tiger: A Courageous and
Echoing Roar.... By January of 2010, Mr.
Sim’s persisting cough was diagnosed as
end-stage lung cancer. With Tiger-like
courage, Patrick endured surgery, radiotherapy and multiple rounds of chemotherapy. As hundreds of well wishers’
cards, and emails showered upon the Sims,
Patrick was “emeritized” as the WLM’s
Paul M. Wood Distinguished Librarian
and nominated to honorary membership
in the Academy of Anesthesiology and the
American Society of Anesthesiologists. Pat
regarded the ASA’s announcement of his
pending Honorary Membership as “the
greatest moment in my life.” And, true to
his modest ways, Pat drew his final breath
on October 14, 2010, the day before the
opening of his namesake WLM exhibit
“Celebrating Patrick P. Sim, M.L.S.” Mr.
Sim departed life as he had commenced
it… in another Chinese Year of the Tiger.
Over nearly 40 years, Patrick Sim
shared anesthesia history with five WLM
Laureates, 72 WLM Fellows, scores of
ASA officers, hundreds of historians, and
thousands of physicians. That assistance,
however, delayed his finishing Heritage
of Anesthesia, his bibliography annotating the tomes that he had safeguarded in
the WLM’s Rare Book Room. The WLM
Publications Committee is honoring him
by completing that task. Please consider
memorializing Patrick by supporting this
work, along with future Sim Librarian and
Sim Fellowship opportunities, by clicking
the “Donate” button for the “Patrick Sim
Honorary Fund” on the WLM website
www.woodlibrarymuseum.org , by emailing WLM Librarian Karen Bieterman at
[email protected] , or by phoning
her at (847) 825-5586.
And finally, please pause for a moment
in memory of our wonderful colleague
and friend-- yes, our “Tiger Amongst the
Tomes”-- Paul M. Wood Distinguished
Librarian Emeritus Patrick Pui-Kam Sim,
M.L.S.
*Please note, unless attributed otherwise,
all quotations cited are from the late Patrick P.
Sim, M.L.S.
General References:
1. Interview of Patrick Sim, M.L.S. by
Charles Tandy, M.D. Park Ridge, IL:
WLM, 2004. [DVD]
2. Bacon DR: The power of Patrick. Am
Soc Anesthesiologists News 2010 May; 74(5):
4-5, 64.
3. Winkler R: Patrick Sim: 1939-2010.
Am Soc Anesthesiologists Monitor 2010 [Oct
18]. [internet bulletin]
4. The Chinese Fine Arts Society. A
Fond Remembrance... Patrick Sim. Chicago:
CFSA, 2010 [Oct 18]; pp 1-4. [pamphlet]
5. Bause GS: The Irish connections of
Patrick Sim, M.L.S. Anesthesiology 2010
Dec; 113(6): 1337.
6. Bause GS: A taste of Sim’s Heritage
of Anesthesia. Anesthesiology 2010 Dec;
113(6): 1446.
7. Bause GS, Wilkinson DJ: Patrick P.
Sim (1939-2010). Am Soc Anesthesiologists
News 2011 Feb; 75(2): 46-48.
THE
PATRICK
SIM
HONORARY
FUND
To Contribute:
Please Click Onto the
“Donate” Button at
www.woodlibrarymuseum.org
or email
Karen Bieterman at
[email protected]
or
Phone Her at
(847) 825-5586
After signing— reluctantly in ballpoint pen— the Chinese characters for “Sim Pui-Kam”
in this sample, Patrick Pui-Kam Sim noted that he had learned formal brush calligraphy
in childhood from a cousin in Hong Kong.
BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY 5
“Great Joys for a Humble Librarian.”— Patrick P. Sim, M.L.S.
Shiu-Mei Chang Sim, M.A. (Music). Pat’s wife of 43 years “added color”
to his “otherwise black-and-white life.” A third-generation musician, Shiu-Mei
was Patrick’s “wonderful blessing.”
A
B
A. American Society of Anesthesiologists
Honorary Member (2010). WLM President Mary
Ellen Warner, M.D. congratulated Librarian Sim
for the honor that he regarded as “the greatest
moment in my life.”
B. Academy of Anesthesiology Honorary
Member (2010). WLM Honorary Curator George
Bause hand-delivered the Academy’s framed certificate to the home of his ailing friend.
C
Gabriel Sim, D.D.S. Pat’s “son who went
into the Sciences,” his older son “Gabe”
thrilled Pat with his decision to pursue a
“pain-relieving specialty”— endodontic
dentistry. His son’s career choice encouraged
Patrick to re-examine the role of dentists in
advancing anesthesiology.
C. Anesthesia History Association Honorary
Member (2001). The first organization to “make
Pat Sim an Honorary,” the AHA collaborates with
the WLM on publishing this Bulletin of Anesthesia
History.
Claude Sim, B.M. (Violin Performance)
Pat’s “younger son who went into the Arts,”
Claude is Associate Concertmaster for the
Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Blessed with
perfect pitch and interests in concert, tango
and jazz music, Claude impressed his father
by playing violin to Yo-Yo Ma’s cello.
6 BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY
Patrick P. Sim, M.L.S.:
5
9
7
2
3
4
8
6
1
10
22
26
23
24
25
21
27
29
28
30
31
41
43
44
42
BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY 7
A Professional Timeline
11
14
12
13
15
18
16
17
19
20
35
32
34
33
36
39
40
37
38
Captioned on Page 8
8 BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY
Patrick P. Sim, M.L.S.: A Professional Timeline
Hong Kong to Mainland China and Back (1939-1952)
1. Sim Pui-Kam was born in 1939 to a Hong Kong couple, businessman Sim Sui-Chu and his wife Sim (Doo) Man-Ying.
2. A 3rd-generation citizen of the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong, Sim Pui-Kam fled with relatives to mainland China after Japan’s 1941 attack and returned home after WWII ended.
3. In Hong Kong’s “Cantonese vernacular” grammar schools, he signed his name “Sim Pui-Kam.” He learned formal Chinese calligraphy from a cousin.
St. Joseph’s College (SJC), Hong Kong (1952-60)
4. Christened Patrick by his Irish mentors at SJC, he learned English with an Irish accent.
Northcote Training College (NTC), Hong Kong (1960-64)
5. Standing far right, Pat trained as a history and geography teacher for 2 years at NTC.
6. While Pat finished at NTC, his SJC classmate, Paul Yue, transferred to USA’s NEMO.
Northeast Missouri State College (NEMO), Kirksville, Missouri (1964-67; BA, 1967)
7. NEMO Professor Arnold Zuckerman piqued Pat’s interest in the history of medicine.
8. Months after earning his B.A. in History, Pat married a music postgrad named Shiu-Mei. He pursued graduate coursework in Asian Studies at the U. of Kansas until spring of 1969.
State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany (MLS, 1970)
9. Switching to Library Science, Pat learned “Dewey decimalizing” at SUNY Albany, where Melvil Dewey in 1926 transferred his school for librarians.
10. At Albany, Pat learned Medical Librarianship from Prof. Pauline Vaillancourt and worked for NY State Medical Librarian Marcia Davidoff, whose contacts steered him to the ASA.
ASA’s Wood Library-Museum (WLM), Park Ridge, Illinois (1971-2010)
11. Patrick Sim’s first day as ASA’s WLM Librarian was February 16, 1971.
12. Pat posed in 1977 with John, grandson of WLM donor Paul Ansbro, MD.
13. By 1986, Pat was “dumpster-diving” to recover “mysteriously discarded WLM antiques.”
14. In 1990 Pat manned the Anesthesia History Exhibit “Finding the Real Crawford Long.”
15. At the WLM’s previous location, Pat had to manually humidify the Rare Book Room.
16. Pat supervised the WLM’s move in Park Ridge, IL from Busse to Northwest Highway.
17. An official ASA photoportrait captured Patrick Sim, MLS in 1992.
18. At the 1992 AHA Annual Dinner, Patrick conferred with Dr. Gerald Zeitlin.
19. WLM Hon. Curator Bause and author Marianne Bankert join Patrick at the TISHA in 1992.
20. Patrick navigated Dr. Bause and the WLM rental van through a 1992 Chicago blizzard.
21. At the 1996 AHA Meeting, Patrick Sim stood next to past WFSA Pres. Carlos Parsloe.
22. The ASA’s Glenn Johnson and William Marinko celebrated Pat’s 25th WLM anniversary.
23. WLM President Elliott Miller saluted Patrick’s 25th anniversary with the WLM in 1996.
24. Cover model for the WLM’s 1996 perpetual calendar, Pat stared down Crawford Long.
25. At the 1997 ASA Annual Meeting, Patrick Sim stood next to Dr. Charles Tandy.
26. Pat stood with Dr. & Mrs. John Steinhaus and Dr. & Mrs. Peter Safar in 2000.
27. The WLM Librarian frequently inspected large items in the map drawer cabinets.
28. Drs. Caton, McGoldrick, Miller, and Tandy celebrated Pat’s 30th WLM anniversary.
29. In 2001, ASA Dir. Glenn Johnson and Mrs. Sim saluted Pat’s 30th WLM anniversary.
30. The WLM’s Karen Bieterman and Judith Robins stood alongside Patrick Sim in 2001.
31. Who discovered anesthesia ? Ask the WLM’s Bieterman, Siragusa, Robins and Sim.
32. In 2004 Patrick Sim posed with a favorite tome in the WLM’s Huston Rare Book Room.
33. A 2.5-ton air conditioner was craned onto ASA’s roof for a Rare Book Room renovation.
34. WLM Arts Cmte. Drs. Cope, McGoldrick and Conlay supervised Pat’s hanging of art.
35. The “Paul M. Wood Distinguished Librarian of the WLM” was caught smiling.
36. In 2007 Patrick Sim posed with Drs. Wu Xinmin and Haiming Wang.
37. Pat is flanked in 2007 by Drs. Leroy Misuraca, Brian Harrington, and Andrew Schmitt.
38. At the 2007 ASA Annual Meeting, Patrick Sim lectured at the History Forum.
39. Pat supervised an authors’ book-signing at a WLM Friends’ Tea.
40. In 2008 WLM Fellow Anthony Kovac, MD posed with WLM Staffers Patrick Sim, Judith Robins, Margie Jenkins,
Teresa Jimenez, Karen Bieterman, and Felicia Reilly.
41. Drs. George Gregory and Christine Mai stood with Patrick Sim at the 2009 ASA Meeting.
42. Felicia Reilly, Margie Jenkins, Karen Bieterman and Teresa Jimenez joined Pat at Christmas.
43. Pat felt the WLM Seal’s “medium blue field color helps the candle and shields stand out.”
44. Patrick was delighted with the WLM’s 1561 tome of Valerius Cordus’ synthesis of ether.
BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY 9
Eulogizing Patrick Sim at the October 18, 2010 Sim Forum
It has been an honor and a privilege to work with Patrick Sim over the last 13 years. He was a wonderful, gentle man, a humble scholar,
an historian, and a friend to many, as you all can attest to…. Patrick was the epitome of professionalism and customer service, and quite
honestly, he could have written a book on customer service. ASA has recently put the employees through customer service training, and
as I passed through this training, it dawned on me that we already knew all that they were saying, because we had learned from the very
best. For over 39 years, Patrick ran to the phone, picked it up, and said, “This is Patrick Sim. How can I help you ?” He had the uncanny,
genuine ability to make everyone feel that they were the most important person to him-- and you were. He would walk up to you at the Annual Meeting and talk about your department, and would know about your chair from about 10 years ago or even longer, and he would also
know something personal about each and every person. And he would never forget that, and you were his friend. He led by example and
took many people under his wings-- probably most of the people in this room-- and you were all better people for having known him.
He was my mentor, my colleague, but most importantly, he was my good friend. His passing is a tremendous loss to the WLM, the ASA, and the
Anesthesiology community as a whole. His legacy will live on at the WLM. We will continue to celebrate his life and his many accomplishments in the
work that we continue to do. As he watches from above in the great Annual Meeting in the sky-- we miss you Patrick….-- Karen R. Bieterman, M.L.I.S.
Just weeks after Pearl Harbor was attacked, a youngster named Sim Pui-Kam fled his native Hong Kong on perhaps the final departing boat
before Japanese soldiers dismantled the city. Speaking Cantonese, young Sim spent the next three years on the Chinese mainland learning a
another Chinese dialect— so English was actually his third language. To the very end, he would say that he dreamed in Chinese, so all his work
in English was a labor of love for him.
After returning to Hong Kong, Sim Pui -Kam was christened “Patrick” by his Irish mentors, the Lasallian Brothers of St. Joseph’s College—
so he became known as Patrick Pui-Kam Sim. He trained to become what we would call a “junior high” teacher at Northcote Training College
in Hong Kong before following a close friend to the United States, to “NEMO”— the Northeast Missouri State College. There he was inspired
by medical historian Arnold Zuckerman. And more importantly, there Pat was enchanted by his future wife, a Taiwanese music major named
Shiu-Mei. Amongst the many joys she would bring to Pat, Shiu-Mei would bless him with two wonderful boys who would succeed respectively
in the sciences and the arts— Gabriel in dental science and Claude in music.
After preliminary library courses at NEMO, Patrick saved up money by working in smoke-filled Chinese restaurants, where he learned as he
put it “service with a smile.” Fully trained as a music teacher, Pat’s wife was barred, as a non-citizen, from teaching classes. So Patrick continued
waiting tables in those restaurants filled with second-hand smoke….
Pat saved enough money to complete his Masters degree in Library Science at America’s most famous library school— the State University
of New York at Albany, where Melvil Dewey had popularized the Dewey Decimal System. Chicago connections steered Pat to an interview
with Dr. Charles Tandy, who hired the young man –almost 40 years ago now— for minimum wage as Librarian of the Wood Library-Museum
of Anesthesiology. And the rest is history….
As physician-curator for anesthesia museums at Johns Hopkins and then at Yale, I was asked by WLM Trustees to meet Pat at ASA headquarters in March of 1987. An ever-growing ASA had shoved all of the WLM’s anesthesia antiques into the basement, and had replaced the
first floor museum gallery with clerical offices. Consequently, in ASA’s tiny photocopy room, Pat was rotating anesthesia equipment through
a lone glass display cabinet. And that was our “national gallery.” Evenings, Pat would slip quietly behind the building and he would dive into
the ASA dumpster to recover anesthesia apparatus that was mysteriously arriving in the ASA dumpster. (Pat figured that it was probably from
an over-zealous administrator. He did not know.) I credit Pat with single-handedly saving the museum side of the WLM.
Pat made me feel like I was his best friend, as he made nearly all of you feel. He gave the same grand tour of the place to a visiting high school
student that he would give to an ASA President. Pat excited thousands of us about the history of anesthesia, and, before and during the age of
the internet, he helped scholars find and collaborate with each other.
In spite of his incredible reservoir of knowledge, Pat was always very modest and retiring. Whenever a group photograph was being taken,
Pat would try to slide out of the room, and the Trustees would have to “rope him” back in. This year, the WLM Trustees assigned me with the
Annual Meeting project titled “Celebrating Patrick Sim.” And Patrick, true to his modest ways, slid out the door the day before our exhibit
opened here in San Diego. Only this time the Trustees could never drag him back into the picture again….
Pat’s only fault was his slow driving— he drove his car like Mr. Magoo. One time he talked me into not taking the train back to Midway
Airport. Pat drove and turned my normally 45-minute train ride into a 2-hour ride by car. The only time I ever saw Pat looking concerned, in
fact, was when he navigated while I drove a moving van 5 miles-per-hour from a downtown museum back to the WLM in a Chicago snowstorm.
In January when I learned that Pat had terminal lung cancer which had weakened his voice, I phoned him. His voice sounded like “Death
warmed over,” and I cried on the phone. So instead of my comforting Pat, Pat was comforting me. He underwent a thyroplasty, a procedure to
recover his voice, and I never cried again for Pat in front of Pat. I did have the blessing of seeing Pat one last time. He wanted to see the inaugural
issue of the world’s first anesthesia journal which I had donated in his honor to the WLM. While visiting, I delivered his Honorary Membership
in the Academy of Anesthesiology— which I had framed and triple-matted for him. A few weeks ago, after moderating a session for the Royal
College of Surgeons in Ireland, I slipped away to a rocky island about 8 miles off the Irish coast. There, where devoted monks had kept the Faith
alive and had preserved Learning during the Dark Ages, I said a prayer for Pat. He loved the photo that I emailed him from this holy place.
Near the end, he would call me his St. George, but he was really our St. Patrick. The morning Pat passed, at least four women here in the
audience, all of whom have approached me, said that they had dreamed about Patrick or had suddenly thought of him—including my wife.
That does not surprise me. I figure by now Pat has already Dewey-decimalized all the chorus books for the heavenly choir. And since God would
certainly not let Patrick drive in heaven, I believe that Pat is distracting St. Pete with reading material at the Pearly Gates, so that Pat can tagteam with him, in welcoming all the passersby into heaven.
Patrick Sim— such a humble man… Patrick Sim— such a great man ! God bless you, Patrick Sim ! – George S. Bause, M.D., M.P.H.
10 BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY
SimFest: A Sampler of Tributes to Patrick P. Sim, M.L.S.
Edited by George S. Bause, MD, MPH
I was privileged to have had Patrick Sim as my boss for the last four years. His ability to guide me through the world of Anesthesia by
learning about his experiences and vast knowledge was very rewarding for me. I cherished having Patrick as my teacher, boss and friend.
— Margaret “Margie” Jenkins (WLM Library Assistant)
I think often of the respect and regard for others that Patrick unfailingly demonstrated. Before his retirement he humbled me daily with
his reliable and steady openness.— Teresa Jimenez, MSLIS (WLM Assistant Librarian)
One day we were talking, and Patrick mentioned that we librarians should keep writing and publishing. He mentioned that his very first article
was published in the journal Catholic Library World. I told him “That’s where my first article was published!” I thought it was a nice coincidence.
Patrick had a very strong, devout faith, and it was always a joy and pleasure to discuss it with him.— Felicia Reilly, MALS (WLM Archivist)
Patrick could laugh at himself, but never at another person. Perhaps that is why he was loved by everyone who knew him.
— Judith “Judy” Robins, MA (WLM Collections Supervisor)
Patrick— from the moment you first reported to work at the WLM it was apparent that you had a desire to expand your knowledge of
our specialty. Over the next 40 years, you became the expert of our historical base and more importantly a very special friend and colleague.
— Charles Tandy, MD (WLM Acquisition & Disposition Cmte. Chair)
As first-born, Patrick was known in his family as #1 Sim. He was that also in my book. His devotion to our specialty, his knowledge of
the history, his generosity with his time, and his willingness and gentleness in working with people endeared him to my heart as one of my
dearest friends.— Elliott Miller, MD (WLM Long-Range Planning Cmte. Chair)
What stands out most from my quarter century working with Patrick Sim was his dedication to the Wood Library-Museum and its mission as well as the extraordinary satisfaction that he took from the preservation of objects and books related to the history of our specialty.
In both his personal and professional life he demonstrated the qualities of a professional librarian, historian, scholar, colleague and friend.
— Donald Caton, MD (WLM Publications Cmte. Chair)
Patrick was such a thoughtful, knowledgeable yet humble, collegial, and graceful friend that it is challenging to pinpoint the traits I
most admired and loved in his character. After much reflection, I have decided to highlight his wisdom and kindness. Patrick was the hub
about which many lives revolved, a pillar of unobtrusive support, and an unfaltering source of strength, insight, and goodness to any and
all who needed his personal or professional assistance. Patrick was not only universally admired and respected; he was truly beloved by all
who were blessed to be part of his orbit.— Kathryn McGoldrick, MD (WLM Publications Cmte. Co-Chair)
I first met Patrick Sim almost 30 years ago and our friendship was a positive influence on my life. Patrick made people feel good about
themselves by making them feel that their work and opinions were important. His politeness and courtesy were legendary, and he used
those gifts to make every visitor to the WLM feel that he or she was the most important visitor that the museum ever had. The skill that he
manifested in greeting visitors to the WLM made him an unexcelled good will ambassador for the WLM and the ASA.
— William Hammonds, MD, MPH (WLM Nominations Cmte. Chair)
Patrick was the kindest, gentlest soul I have ever had the opportunity to meet. He epitomized what it means to be a professional. He was
always courteous, extremely conscientious, and constantly strove to do his best in each and every aspect of his career as our WLM Librarian. His love for the WLM was only transcended by his love for his family. They were his finest treasure, his proudest possession and his
ultimate joy. I have been privileged to be able to call Patrick my friend, my mentor, my role model and my colleague.
— Mary Ellen Warner, MD (WLM President)
Patrick, yes, you were the heart and soul of the Wood Library-Museum----but I will think of you always as Natalia’s big brother. I saw
the love in Natalia’s eyes when we walked past your home in Hong Kong. Your family adored you and to me, this mattered the most. From
one oldest child to another.— Susan Vassallo, MD (WLM Vice-President & Library Cmte. Chair)
In October 2008 the ASA Annual Meeting was held in Orlando, and I suggested to Patrick that we go together to visit Ralph Waters’
retirement home and the Waters descendents still living there. Patrick made the arrangements. Patrick’s unique ability to draw out stories
combined with his encyclopedic knowledge of Waters’ influence on American anesthesia made for a wonderful time at the “Chief ’s” house. The better part of a day spent one-on-one with Patrick Sim enjoying anesthesia history was a memorable occasion!
— Mark Schroeder, MD (WLM Treasurer)
Patrick Sim was unique. He was the “face” of the WLM for many years, graciously providing essential help to legions of young researchers as well as the established leaders of our specialty, as we worked to tell the story of the development of anesthesiology. It was a privilege
to know him and work with him…. Many thanks, Patrick!— Selma Calmes, MD (AHA Co-Founder & WLM Trustee)
Patrick exemplified professionalism and service. He had a genuine love of history, learning and people, especially anesthesiologists. His
warmth did more to encourage medical historical scholarly activity over more decades than any training institution in the country.
— Doris Cope, MD (WLM Laureate Cmte. Chair & Bulletin of Anesthesia History Editor)
To me, Patrick Sim was the consummate scholar. He always searched for that last piece of data that would conclusively prove his point. His enthusiasm for learning and encouragement of scholarship in the history of anesthesiology was beyond compare.
— Douglas Bacon, MD, MA (AHA President, ASA Newsletter Editor & WLM Development Cmte. Chair)
BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY 11
I have lived in an era that has been a transition from the innovators of the middle 20th century to the present day and I have been fortunate to meet many of the great (now often historical) names of anaesthesia from around the world. I will always place Patrick Sim at the
very apex of all these great men and women because he personified all that was good about anaesthesia history. He was a wonderful man, an
invaluable friend and an awesome aid to anyone looking for help. It is rare to meet such greatness in such an unassuming mantle. Thank
you for everything, Patrick.—England’s David Wilkinson, MB BS, FRCA (WLM Laureate of the History of Anesthesia, 2008-12)
I was deeply impressed by Patrick’s intellect and his wide ranging interests not only in the field of anesthesia but also in the fine arts,
classical music and other areas of human achievement in American and Western Culture. I will always be grateful for the privilege of having had in Patrick a genuine, warm-hearted friend and for our many intellectual exchanges and fascinating conversations.
— Germany’s Horst Stoeckel, MD (Founder of the Horst Stoeckel Museum of the History of Anesthesia)
Meeting Patrick Sim at the ASA Annual Meeting in 1997 marked a defining moment in my academic career together with the beginning
of a treasured friendship....Without Patrick’s guidance, support and friendship I am certain that I would not have developed nor continued
an interest in the history of anesthesia. I was honored and humbled to be referred to by Patrick as his “Canadian Friend” and continue to
be forever indebted. -- Kim Turner, MD FRCPC (Associate Professor, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada)
The Patrick-guided WLM was the Gold-standard for my life’s pursuit of documenting/collecting the history of our profession....Thank
you, thank you Patrick (with your team of carefully-selected assistants) for your freely-offered expertise, encouragement and close friendship over the years.... Patrick, you may have left the building, but your treasured memory lives on....Semper Pax.— Dr. Richard J Bailey
(Emeritus Hon. Librarian, Richard Bailey Library; Hon. Archivist, Gwen Wilson Archives; Hon. Curator, Harry Daly Museum, Sydney, Australia)
Patrick Sim’s wide knowledge and extensive contacts made him a key figure in preserving and promoting the history of Anesthesiology.
I valued his warm friendship and ready assistance.— Rajesh Haridas, MBChB, FANZCA (2006 WLM Fellow from Mildura Base Hospital
and Mildura Private Hospital, Victoria)
Patrick was one of the most charming people I ever had the pleasure to meet. No task or request was undertaken without a generous and
sincere smile. Although we were half a world apart, I valued Patrick’s friendship….— Rodney “Rod” Westhorpe, MB, BS, FRCA, FANZCA
(Honorary Curator, Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthesia History, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, Melbourne)
Patrick Sim came to the ASA’s WLM when the collection was little more than discards of equipment and papers. In the span of his
stewardship, the WLM went from a basic Dewey Decimal System card catalogue to a leading edge historical museum, which uses all
contemporary tools to enhance the visitor’s experience and encourage research in Anesthesiology History…. I was always impressed with
Patrick’s warm and welcoming smile….Patrick Sim was one of the “hidden” jewels that made my career in academic anesthesia so gratifying.
— Paul Barash, MD (Professor, Yale U., Connecticut)
Patrick Sim was truly unique. He was an instant friend: as soon as you met him. He was receptive and responsive to your needs and
creative in fulfilling them. Perhaps, most of all he was loyal! All of us are indebted to him....
— Alon Winnie, MD (Former Anesthesiology Chairman, U. of Illinois Medical Center and Cook County Hospital, Chicago, IL)
Patrick was an ambassador and steward for the WLM and ASA to the world of anesthesiology. A great librarian, a great human being,
recognized for his generosity, humility, scholarship, professionalism and altruism. A friend and librarian to my father. Over the 35 years I
knew Patrick, he truly influenced my life and the lives of many others.— Jonathan Berman, MD (WLM Marketing Cmte. Chair)
One of the aspects of Patrick Sim’s character that was appreciated but not highly visible was his incredible patience and intense dedication in helping the WLM Fellows pursue their historical research. Had he been of the Hebrew religious persuasion, he would have been
rewarded with the ultimate praise of calling him the “Rabbi” or “Teacher” because of his great ability to teach and his reverence for the
learning process.— Maurice Albin, MD
It is hard for me to describe what I feel when I think back on Patrick. Peacefulness. Joy. Fondness. The love a child has for a favorite
uncle. The respect a person has for a good man.— David Waisel, MD (WLM Forum Cmte. Chair)
For almost 30 years Patrick was a mentor and friend to me. I benefited greatly from his deep knowledge of both librarianship and anesthesia history.— A.J. Wright, MLS (Associate Professor & Clinical Librarian, Dept. of Anesthesiology Library, U. of Alabama at Birmingham)
From the instant of our first meeting over 30 years ago, I felt that Patrick was a brother. His virtues of reliability, respect for others, and
love of knowledge endeared him to every person he ever dealt with. My life was greatly enriched by his friendship!
— Bradley Smith, MD (WLM Living History of Anesthesiology Cmte. Chair)
Patrick Sim was a dedicated influence on my career. He was always there to encourage me from when I was a second year resident
at Boston University, to when I ventured out to Johns Hopkins as a pediatric anesthesia fellow, and to my successes as a junior faculty at
Hopkins, Patrick always had words of kindness and inspiration. As a friend, an advisor and a colleague, Patrick was extremely generous
with his time and resources. I will forever be thankful for having met Patrick, for he inspired me to stretch my limits and do good for others
.— Christine Mai, MD (WLM Fellow)
Dear Patrick, my closest friend, my mentor, and my confidant. I will always have the deepest respect for you! You contributed enormously
to my professional development by your encouragement, insights, leadership and mentoring. Words cannot express enough how grateful I am.
— Chris Lee, MD, PhD (Washington U., St. Louis, MO)
How can you sum up in a few sentences how lucky I was to work with Pat for 38 years? His loyalty, work ethic, knowledge … I could go
on and on. He was not only a co-worker I depended on all these years but a true friend that I knew I could turn to at any time for help or
advice. I will miss Pat….-- Betty Davis (ASA’s Longest-Serving Employee)
12 BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY
C.T. Jackson’s 15 October 1846 Letter to J.-B.A.L. Élie de Beaumont:
Jackson’s Thoughts on Ether Day’s Eve ?
by George S. Bause, M.D., M.P.H.
Honorary Curator, ASA’s Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology, Park Ridge, Illinois;
Clinical Associate Professor, Schools of Medicine and of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
and
Patrick P. Sim,*M.L.S.,Paul M. Wood Distinguished Librarian Emeritus
ASA’s Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology, Park Ridge, Illinois
This article has been peer reviewed for publication in the January 2011 issue of the Bulletin of Anesthesia History.
In April of 2010, the Bulletin of Anesthesia
History published the 30 November 1845
letter of Bostonian Charles T. Jackson, M.D.
to Professor J.-B.A.L.L. Élie de Beaumont
of Paris.1 That previously unpublished missive underscored the cordial professional
relationship shared by the two geologists.
Their friendly correspondence would become critically important years later as a
factor in possibly biasing what was then
the world’s foremost scientific body— the
French Academy of Sciences (which Élie
de Beaumont would serve from 1853-74
as secretary)— towards determining that
Jackson, rather than William T.G. Morton,
deserved credit for discovering anesthesia.
Nine months after writing that letter,
Jackson would find his September of 1846
to be a busy month. That September started
with Jackson’s presiding in New York over
the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geologists and Naturalists.2 The
month ended with the famous meeting in
which Jackson suggested that Morton try
“sulphuric ether” for anesthesia.3
On what would later be called “Ether
Day”, 16 October 1846, Morton conducted
his celebrated public demonstration of
surgical anesthesia in Boston. Jackson was
not present. As Morton began arranging for
subsequent etherizations, Jackson briefly
forsook Massachusetts for Maryland to
conduct geological surveys for copper.4
Although the two men would briefly collaborate in the filing of an ether-related U.S.
Patent, they would soon fight each other
for sole credit for discovering anesthesia.5
Writing his friend Élie de Beaumont in
a letter dated November of 1846 but not
published until February of 1847, Jackson
would stake the first major claim to being
anesthesia’s lone discoverer.6 Eventually,
Jackson would acknowledge that Morton
had never notified him on or in advance of
Ether Day.4
So, would Morton’s upcoming etherizing
plans be even vaguely alluded to by Jackson
in the latter’s missive on Ether Day’s Eve ?
The events of mid-October of 1846 would
forever change medical and dental practice
worldwide. Let us now peer into the mind
of Dr. Charles T. Jackson – just what was
he thinking as he penned this letter on “Oct
15th 1846” ?
Again, as with the first letter in this
unpublished series, provenance of this
second one is limited. As one of a collection of missives sent to Élie de Beaumont,
this 15 October 1846 letter was acquired
in December of 2005 at auction in Paris
by David H. Lowenherz, president of Lion
Heart Autographs, Inc. of New York. After
authentication by that Manhattan firm, the
letter was curatorially purchased for the
Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
by the author in December of 2006.
Boston. Oct 15th 1846
Prof[esso]r L. Élie de Beaumont,
My Dear Sir,
I thank you for your very valuable
Lectures on Practical Geology which
you have had the kindness to send me.7
I have read it with great pleasure and
shall look with great interest to the
volumes you may publish hereafter in
continuation of the subject.
I should have acknowledged this
present sooner had I not waited for
an opportunity to send you some
pamphlets in return which I now send
by Mons. Verneuil whom you kindly
introduced to me by letter.A I shall
be very happy to render service to any
of your friends who may visit Boston
& hope M. Dr. Verneuil will visit us
again & spend some time with me in
exploring Maine & New Hampshire.
I was glad to see M. Agassiz who
is now in Boston & will lecture to the
public at the Lowell Institute in this
city.B,C
I regret that neither M. Dr. Verneuil
nor Mr. Agassiz were present at the
meeting of the American Association of
Geologists & Naturalists in New York.
M. Dr. Verneuil was in Michigan & M.
Agassiz had not reached this country
at that time. They were both elected
members of the aforementioned. Our
meeting was a very interesting one and
many very valuable papers were read.D
I regret that their publication must be
delayed until our next meeting in Boston
in September next. New York is not so
liberal toward science as our city and did
not provide the means for publication of
our volume.
I send you the proceedings of the two
previous meetings.8,9
During the past year I have been
engaged principally in surveying mines
of copper, silver, lead & iron & in the
duties of State Assayer of ores & metals.
I have made some interesting
researches on the theory of the formation
of Bog Iron ore which I regard as produced
from Bisulphuret of iron, protosulphate
of iron being formed and subsequently
converted into the Persulphate which
Persulphate is decomposed by the
organic acids of decaying vegetable
matters and the organic acids Apocrenic,
Crenic & Humic acids precipitate free
salts of iron & form insoluble compounds
in the stub of bog iron ore.E,F Pond ore is
formed mostly of the Apocrenate of iron.
Berzelius you will remember discovered
these acids in the ochre of Porla Springs
and on this suggestion I made my
researches and have established the facts
beyond controversy 1st by analysis, 2d
by synthesis, 3d by observation on the
growth of bog iron ores.
* Deceased.
BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY 13
It is curious to observe that the
excess of sulphuric acid is taken up by
the organic matter, Humin and Humic
acid and on roasting, the ore is driven
off as sulphurous acid gas the acid
being decomposed by the carbon of
the organic acids so that no sulphuret
of iron is formed & none is found in
the iron by analysis of 1000 grs of the
metal.G
This little sketch will explain the
locality at Brownville, Maine where the
facts are well observed. The slope of
the hill is about 10o & the sulphate of
iron has to filter through an immense
mass of decayed foliage by which all
the oxide of iron is separated. The
pools of water contain only solutions
of Crenate & Humate of Iron. The
sulphuric acid is taken up entirely by
the organic matters & the black peat by
eremacausis discharges a considerable
portion of it as sulphydric acid gas.H,I
The compound is either sulphohumic
acid or sulphate of Humin or sulphate
of some of the other organic acids.
These facts appear important both
in the theory of the formation of bog
iron ore and in the manufacture of
iron for we may create bog iron from
worthless Pyrites beds by means of
peat, dead leaves, rotten wood, &c. I
have specimens of ferrifactions of birch
& other woods & perfect impressions
of Hemlock, Vaccinium & Viburnum
leaves & branches. J The organic
acids play a more conspicuous part
in geology than many suppose. They
not only form bog iron ore, black
peat, &c but also decompose rocks
with considerable rapidity either by
the direct action of the acids or by the
carbonic acid they produce by slow
decomposition. Observe the stones
thrown out by Peat bogs and those
in vegetable soils generally. Observe
also the action of mosses on wet rocks,
especially on granite. Let me know
if I can pick up any information you
may want & it will give me pleasure
to serve you.
Most Respectfully Your Ob[edien]t
Serv[an]t & Friend
Charles T. Jackson
This is the second letter transcribed from an unpublished series of Jackson missives to Élie de
Beaumont that the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology acquired in 2006. Underscored
superscripts are original to Jackson’s letter. The transcription includes bracketed clarifications
and other superscripts (as numbered references or lettered endnotes) as curatorial annotations.
Figure 1. Jackson’s salutation to Élie de Beaumont on Ether Day’s Eve. Bleed-through
from oxidating ink is not digitally subtracted here in this raw image. Such oxidation
complicates transcription of all of these Jackson letters.
Figure 2. Jackson’s illustration from Page 3 of his 15 October 1845 letter to Élie de Beaumont.
He depicts features (left-to-right) around bog iron formation: Slate; Pyrites; gaines [geines] of
bog Iron from 3 to 6 ft deep, ore deposited in the decayed foliage & c.; bog no iron ore,
black peat, smells of Sulphuretted Hydrogen gas.H
Figure 3. Cover Page. Serving as the 15 October 1846 letter’s cover, page 4 translates to
English as follows: Monsieur Professor L. Élie de Beaumont, Engineer-in-Chief at the
Royal School of Mines, Paris, France; [conveyed by] Monsieur Doctor Verneuil.
Continued on Page 14
14 BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY
Summary
As did the previous letter on 30 November
1845 from Charles T. Jackson to J.-B.A.L.
Élie de Beaumont, this 15 October 1846
missive underscores the cordial professional
relationship between the two geologists. Remarkably, in this “Ether Day’s Eve” letter,
Jackson never reveals whether he had any
clue that W.T.G. Morton would be publicly
demonstrating ether anesthesia for surgery
the next morning. More importantly, since
Élie de Beaumont would play a future pivotal
role in assigning initial credit for “discovering anesthesia” to his geological colleague
Jackson, rather than to Morton, letters such
as these from November of 1845 and October
of 1846 can only raise more questions about
the impartiality of Élie de Beaumont.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful for the
assistance of autograph consultants David
H. Lowenherz; Heather A. Wightman, M.A.;
and Michel Sauvage. In addition, the authors
thank the staff of the Wood Library-Museum
of Anesthesiology (American Society of
Anesthesiologists, Park Ridge, Illinois):
Archivist Felicia Reilly, M.A.L.S.; Library
Assistant Margaret Jenkins; Collections
Supervisor Judith Robins, M.A.; Teresa
Jimenez, M.S.L.I.S.; and Librarian Karen
Bieterman, M.L.I.S. All images are courtesy of
the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology.
References
1. Bause GS: C.T. Jackson’s 30 November
1845 Letter to J.-B.A.L. Élie de Beaumont:
“What a Beautiful Exemplification of Chemical Laws…!” Bull Anest Hist 2010 Apr; 28(1):
1, 4-6.
2. [Table of “Meetings and Officers of
the American Association of Geologists and
Naturalists” in] Proceedings of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science.
For the Fortieth Meeting, Held at Washington,
D.C., August, 1891. Salem: AAAS Permanent
Secretary, 1892, p. xviii.
3. Gay M. A Statement of the Claims of
Charles T. Jackson, M.D., to the Discovery of the
Applicability of Sulphuric Ether to the Prevention of Pain in Surgical Operations. Boston: D.
Clapp, 1847, p. 12.
4. Lord HC, Lord JL. A Defence of Dr.
Charles T. Jackson’s Claims to the Discovery of
Etherization: Containing Testimony Disproving the Claims Set Up in Favor of Mr. W. T. G.
Morton, in the Report of the Trustees of the Massachusetts General Hospital, and in No. 201 of
Littell’s Living Age. Boston: Office of Littell’s
Living Age, 1848, pp. 17-18.
5. Jackson CT, Morton WTGM. Improvement in surgical operations. US Patent No.
4848. [12 Nov] 1846.
6. [Jackson CT]: Première letter— Boston, le 13 November 1846. Comptes Rendus
Acad Sci Paris [18 Jan] 1847; 24: 74-76.
7. Élie de Beaumont JBALL: Leçons De
Géologie Pratique: Professées Au Collège De
France, Pendant L’année Scolaire 1843-1844.
Paris: Chez P. Bertrand, 1845.
8. Rogers, Henry D. Address Delivered
at the Meeting of the Association of American
Geologists and Naturalists: Held in Washington,
May, 1844. New Haven: B.L. Hamlen, 1844.
9. Abstract of the Proceedings of the Sixth
Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geologists and Naturalists, Held in New
Haven, Conn., April, 1845. New Haven: B.L.
Hamlen, 1845.
10. Jackson CT, Holmes E. First Annual
Report on the Geology of the State of Maine.
Augusta: Smith & Robinson, 1837, pp.
101, 125.
11. Jackson CT: Report on the Geological
and Agricultural Survey of the State of Rhode
Island, Made Under a Resolve of Legislature
in the Year 1839. Providence: B. Cranston
& Co., 1839, pp. 196-199.
12. Jackson CT: Final Report on the
Geology and Mineralogy of the State of New
Hampshire; with Contributions Towards the
Improvement of Agriculture and Metallurgy.
Concord, New Hampshire: Carroll & Baker,
1844, pp. 187-188.
Endnotes
A. C e l e b r a t e d t o d a y f o r h a v i n g
introduced forcipressure (vs.
hemorrhage), iodoform packing (vs.
abscesses), and dry bandaging, Aristide
Auguste Stanislas Verneuil (1823-1895),
was a French anatomist and surgeon and,
eventually, professor and chair of clinical
surgery at the Paris Faculty of Medicine.
B. A Swiss naturalist, Jean Louis
Rodolphe Agassiz (1807-1873) studied
biology and medicine at universities at
Zürich and Heidelberg before earning
a Ph.D. from Erlangen and an M.D
from Munich. Hailed as the “Father of
Glaciology”, Agassiz established by 1837
that there had been a prehistoric “Ice Age.”
Not long after delivering a dozen lectures
at Boston’s Lowell Institute in the autumn
of 1846, Agassiz accepted a professorship
at Harvard.
C. Heir to fortunes from two families
of Boston industrialists, John Lowell, Jr.
(1799-1836) died at age 36 years following
a camel trek across Egypt. His will founded
what became Boston’s Lowell Institute,
which, patterned after the Royal Institution
of Great Britain, sponsored annual popular
and scientific lectures.
D. In New York on 2 September 1846,
Dr. Charles T. Jackson chaired the Seventh
Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geologists (“…and Naturalists”,
since 1842). In 1848 the organization would
rename itself yet again as the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The
Eighth Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geologists and Naturalists would
take place in Boston on 20 September 1847.2
E. Bog iron ore consists of spongy
deposits of impure hydrated iron oxides
which precipitate out of iron-bearing
groundwater flowing into bogs, marshes, or
other wetlands. Bisulphuret of iron or Iron
pyrite is formulated FeS2; protosulphate
of iron or ferrous sulfate is formulated
FeSO4 ; persulphate of iron or ferric sulfate
is formulated Fe2(SO4 ) 3.
F. A Swedish physician-turned-chemist,
Jöns Jacob Berzelius (1779-1848) is considered the Father of Swedish Chemistry
and a pioneer in notation for chemical
formulas. He identified the chemical
elements cerium, selenium, silicon, and
thorium; his laboratory identified lithium
and vanadium. Berzelius coined the terms
“polymer”, “isomer” and “protein”. Jackson
noted that “Berzelius first discovered the
crenic, apocrenic and humic acids in the
iron ochre of Porla spring, and sagaciously
suggested that these acids would probably
be found to enter into the composition of
bog iron ore.”12 Ochres are compounds of
clay with iron oxide yielding pigments ranging in color from brown to red to yellow. The
iron-rich water of Porla Springs bubbles up
near the town of Laxå in Örebro County
about halfway between Sweden’s two largest
cities, Stockholm and Gothenburg.
G. Sulphurous acid gas or gas from
H2SO3 is formulated as SO2. Aqueous solutions of this sulfur dioxide have been used
as disinfectants, reducing agents, and mild
bleaches.
H. As defined by Jackson, “a combination
of iron, or iron and copper, with sulphur, is
called by this name [Pyrites]. It originally
was given because iron pyrites gave sparks
of fire when struck by steel. Its name is from
the Greek, signifying fire stone.”10 Geine
is a name that Berzelius initially applied
to humus and subsequently abandoned.
Sulphuretted hydrogen gas is Sulphydric
gas or hydrogen sulfide, formulated as H2S.
I. Eremacausis is an older term for
decay or slow combustion.
J. A ferrifaction is an impression
made by the hydrated peroxide of iron
(Fe2O3.H2O). Vaccinium is a blueberry genus; Viburnum, a genus of flowering shrubs.
BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY 15
Bulletin of Anesthesia History (ISSN 1522-8649) is published four times a year as a joint effort of the Anesthesia
History Association and the Wood-Library Museum of
Anesthesiology. The Bulletin was published as Anesthesia
History Association Newsletter through Vol. 13, No. 3,
July 1995.
The Bulletin, formerly indexed in Histline, is now indexed
in several databases maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine as follows:
1. Monographs: Old citations to historical monographs
(including books, audiovisuals, serials, book chapters, and
meeting papers) are now in LOCATORplus (locatorplus.
gov), NLM’s web-based online public access catalog, where
they may be searched separately from now on, along with
newly created citations.
2. Journal Articles: Old citations to journals have been
moved to PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed),
NLM’s web-based retrieval system, where they may be
searched separately along with newly created citations.
3. Integrated History Searches: NLM has online citations to
both types of historical literature -- journal articles as well
as monographs -- again accessible through a single search
location, The Gateway (gateway.nlm.nih.gov).
Doris K. Cope, MD, Editor in Chief
Douglas Bacon, MD, Associate Editor
David Waisel, MD, Associate Editor
A.J. Wright, MLS, Associate Editor
THE WOOD
LIBRARY-MUSEUM
of ANESTHESIOLOGY
Exciting Opportunity!
THE WLM FELLOWSHIP
funds 1 to 3 weeks of
historical research at the
Wood Library-Museum of
Anesthesiology (WLM).
Email: [email protected]
520 Northwest Highway
Park Ridge, IL 60068-2573
(847) 825-5586
Apply by Jan. 31, 2011
www.WoodLibraryMuseum.org
Assistant Editors
Book Review: Theodore Alston, MD
Peer Review: Adolph H. Giesecke, Jr., MD
Fall ASA Forums/Panels: Selma Calmes, MD
Spring Meeting Papers: Bradley Smith, MD
Deborah Bloomberg, Editorial Staff
Editorial, Reprint, and Circulation matters should be
addressed to:
Editor
Bulletin of Anesthesia History
200 Delafield Avenue, Suite 2070
Pittsburgh, PA 15215 U.S.A.
Telephone (412) 784-5343
Fax (412) 784-5350
[email protected]
Manuscripts may be submitted on disk using Word for Windows or other PC text program. Please save files in RICH
TEXT FORMAT (.rtf) if possible and submit a hard copy
printout in addition to the disk. Illustrations/photos may
be submitted as original hard copy or electronically. Photographs should be original glossy prints, NOT photocopies,
laser prints or slides. If submitted electronically, images
must be at least 300 dpi and saved as tif files. Photocopies
of line drawings or other artwork are NOT acceptable for
publication. Copyright and reprint permission statements
must be included with all images.
16 BULLETIN OF ANESTHESIA HISTORY
The C. Ronald Stephen Resident Essay Contest
C. Ronald Stephen, M.D. (1916 - 2006) was one of the “greatest” of the “Greatest Generation” of anesthesiologists who,
beginning in the mid-twentieth century, struggled successfully to establish our medical specialty. A true “Renaissance”
person, he was an admired clinician, teacher, investigator, author, editor, and champion of professionalism.
On his death friends and former students established an endowment within the Anesthesia History Association
(AHA) to facilitate not only the perpetuation of his memory, but also to continue to encourage his favorite activities
in later life: teaching the importance of professionalism in anesthesiology, and preserving and teaching the history of
anesthesiology.
Thus the AHA has established the C. Ronald Stephen Essay Contest, which is open to all who create the essay during
Residency or Fellowship. Essays can be on any topic related to anesthesia, pain medicine or critical care, and must be
less than 5000 words in length. Up to three “finalists” will be announced during the October, 2011 annual meeting of
the American Society of Anesthesiologists. “Finalists” must present 20 minute oral versions of their essays in person
at the spring annual meeting of the AHA in 2012.
Judging by an expert panel will be based on originality and appropriateness of the subject, the quality of the research,
the writing, the bibliography, and the quality of the oral presentation. All finalists must agree to submit their essays to
be considered for publication in the Bulletin of Anesthesia History (a peer reviewed journal listed in PubMed). Prizes
will be $500, $200, and $100 for first, second, and third place.
Entries in the current contest must be RECEIVED before midnight September 10, 2011. Submissions should be as
attachments to an email, composed utilizing Microsoft Word 2003 to 2007 versions.
Correspondence: Bradley E. Smith, M. D.
Chair, C. Ronald Stephen Essay Contest, AHA 2010 - 2011
[email protected]
Please refer also to:
www.woodlibrarymuseum.org and www.anesthesia.wisc.edu/AHA/Essay.html
Bulletin of Anesthesia History
Doris K. Cope, M.D., Editor
200 Delafield Road, Suite 2070
Pittsburgh, PA 15215
U.S.A.