3 - History of Anaesthesia Society

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Most anaesthetics were still given in the old style and the demand for specialists had km pressing. The mall 11umber of qualified specialists was ovemr'ced and often asked to do cssea on the same day in several llospitals and sometires in ~rnprepred surro~mdings. This would occasionally generate Aiffic~iLt and hazardous situations, but fortunately teaching in anaesthesiology gradually appeared in the university prqranmes. llle same year reform were undertaken in the mediml profession. The developnent of spcislised medicine had created the need to define the relative position of general practitioners and soecialists. Social security mdicine had bcme general in the country and specialists claimed priviLeged fees within its orpisation. .%ny doctors h3d an undiscuted canpetence as specialists in a variety of branchzs of medicine, but some were ju~t sslf-awinted or had obtained a certain notoriety without havinq undergone a training progrannne or passed an examination. In anaesthesia, some general practitioners were still regularly giving 'old style' anaesthesia. They believed the only technique of the spcial-ist they were unable to manage was tracheal intubation. Many applied to be dccepted in demrtments of surgery, displacing an anaesthetist, so that they could learn 'how to pass a tube1. The qislified anaest:~etists had to insist that hospital authorities only admit candidates for training for a €1111 course. In 311 specislties, it had hem necessary to set rip a system for granting recognised qualifications. this ms the task of a new union of all spxialties: 'Groupnent des Unions bfsssionelles Belges de Medicins Specialistes' (GBS). As the anaesthetists had started their union in 1947, they were one of the founding unions of the GHS. This was highly gratifying to our young qroup. '[he nlnnber of anaesthetists had increased and so had the nmhr of their whlicatims. Their ppers had t~come rather abqtruse to surgeons. In an attempt to further incrsasz ti?~ status of our spcialty, and to make it prfectly clear to the m~dical profession as well as to the authorities, that clinical anaesthesia wss neither part of surqery nor of pharnucolay, it appeared that an independent scientific journal was necessary. 'Acta Anaesthesiologica Wlgica' was foundeft. For a small colrntry like Bel9ium it was a daring initiative which contriktcd to the slxzialtyf s pre.3tiye. Pie National Health Insurance then dacided to re-examine the nomenclature of the various medical services and their sc4e of fees. The clment system had heen introduced in 1344 when specialised iinaest!~esia did not exist. Py tradition, the anaesthesia fees were 10% of the surgeon's. Cur proEessiona1 union decided to clsim 30% with the hope of obtaining 20%. It !ms a plcasant surprise that the 30% was
g-ranted ! 'he monetary success was the confirmation of the new status of our profession. In the Section of Anaesthesiologie of the SOC a function of Chaim of t'le Section was created. me sessions rere from then on presi4ed over by an anaesthetist. In 1954, postgraduate teaching of anaesthnsioloqy, already existing in all universities, was established by law. This had no particular consequenca, but was another step fonuard. Anaesthesia was now autonomus in hospital work, in professional status and in pstqraduate teaching. Since 1946, scientific activity had taken plxe at meetings of the SIX. Acta Anaesthesiologica Belgica waa a seprate publication managed by the 'Societe' and a good relationship had been establishd. With changes of membership of the Board, financial difficulties arose over the plblication expenses ancl a new format appeared actvisahle. The 'Societ~ Bel~e dgAnesthesie et Reanimation' was then formed. me creation of modern anaesthesia start4 in Belgium in 1946 and its present structure was cornplated in 1964. At its introduction, it was highly welcomed and w~nnly supprtr?d. But its birth represented a move army fro .surgery, a branch which had originally been prt of it. As anaesthesia improved its status in the hospital situation, omsition to its developnent from less eminent surgical colleagues appeared spradically. Its growth to a major specialty was the result of combined efforts in l-iospital and academic work, and in research. The audacioous decision to create early in 1947 a professional union was crucial to later success. All these ss-s are interlocked. Better material conditions enhanced clinical and academic work and the latter helped to improve materirll conditions., 'Audentes fortuna juvat' (Virgil: Aeneid, X, 284). Fortune hel,ns those who dare. Now in Belgium, like in many other countries, !Xpartments of Anaesthesia are amongst the largest in m y hospitals. 1 Sebrechts J. La rachianesthssia. Revue &l?e des Sciences Iledicales 1934; 6: 311-334. 2 Hewer CL. Recent Advances in Anaesthesia and Analgesia. 7th Edn. p236, Loncfon,: J & A Churchill, 1953. 3 Qnbredanne L. Un aLp3reil pour l'anestheeuie plr l'ether. fazette des Hopitaux 1909; R1 S: 1095. 4 Epstein HG et al. Theoxford Va{mrisnr. Lancet 1941; 2: 62-64. 5 llarrett HR. Apparanls for obtaining general analgesia and anaesthesia. British :Mica1 Journal 1942; 1: 643. 6 Laduron E,Reinhold H. Indications r~spectives +-.S diverses anasthesies. kta Chimgica Rel:).ica 1747;46:151-21lO(Sugpl.a1m 5).
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3 - History of Anaesthesia Society

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