3 - History of Anaesthesia Society

Mter twenty mnuted he carried out a radical repair of a right inguinal
hern~a without the least discomfort to tha patient. He named the method'
lietameric anaesthesia' because, while sensation is lost in one segment of
the body, it was retained in prts above and below that portion of the
spinal cord from which the blocked routs arise. His papr presents the
anatonucal prmciples, instruments, phamcology, physiology of different
levels, indications, contraindications and ccmplications of epidural
anaesthesia in the first forty three patients who underwent the technique.
Personal comications suggest that ?ages had a very superficisl knowledge
of French paprs on sacral epidural anaesthesia, but -was well awdre of
Kappis's work in Germany on pravertebral anaesthesia. Pages knew that
after wravertehral injection the solution will spread through the
intervertebral formnae into the epidural spce, causing anaesthesia.
Because of his great experience with spinal anaesthesia he used the median
intervertebral route to produce the same effect, as described above.
Uthough Dogliotti, in Italy in 1931, 'rediscovered1 this techni~ue without
knowing of Pages' pblication, he later achowledged that Pages .was first
and gave him all credit for it publicly.
We wish to exprsss our thanks to Dr Fidel Pages Sergem, retired medical
doctor in Barcelona, Dr Rami.ro de la Mata Pag*s, millo-facial surgeon in
Madrid and Dr Matilde Faura, anaesthesiologist of the Hospital de la
Princess, ~Yaclrid for their valuable contrihtions to this study.
1 b'aulconer A, Keys TE. Foundations of Anesthesiology. Charles
C Thms, Springfield, Ill. 1965; 927.
2 Pages F.Anestesia Metamerica. Revista de la Sanidad Militar,
Madrid 1921; 11: 351-356, 385-396.
3 Pages F. Anestesia Metamerica. Revista Espanola de Ciruryia
1922; 3-30.
4 Dogliotti M. Un promenttente metdo di anestesia tronculare in
studio: La rachianestesia peridur.ale sementaria. Boll.Soc.
Piementosa di Chirurgia 1931.
5 Pages F. Trataniento de las fracturas diafisiaris de 10s huesos
largos. Revista Sanidad Militar; 1914.
6 Pages F. El shock traumtim. Revista Eswnola de Cirurgia; 1921.
7 Pages F.Sobre 13 existencia de un espacio pravertebral
hlprsonoro en 10s pneurootorax a tension. Revista Espanola de
Ciwqia 1921;3:1-13.