THE GRIFFITH LEGACY

1992 was the anniversary of Crawford Long's use of ether in 1842, and Griffith and Johnson's introduction of Intocostrin into anaesthetic pr actice in 1942. Harold Randall Griffith was born in Montreal in 1894 a nd died in 1985. He interrupted his medical studies to serve in the fi rst world war and was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry at the battle of Vimy Ridge. Griffith qualified from McGill University in 192 2. After spending a year studying homoeopathic medicine, he joined his father's general practice and became the anaesthetist to the Homoeopa thic Hospital in Montreal. He succeeded his father as Medical Director of the hospital (now renamed the Queen Elizabeth Hospital) in 1936 an d retired in 1966. Griffith was a superb clinical anaesthetist. He was an early advocate of detailed anaesthetic records, and was responsibl e for the introduction of both ethylene and cyclopropane into Canadian practice, later teaching himself to intubate under these two agents. Griffith was one of the first to be concerned with standards of patien t care. He introduced postoperative recovery and intensive care units into Canadian practice and played a major role in postgraduate teachin g. He was unstinting in his support of organisations designed to furth er the progress of anaesthesia and was the first President of the Cana dian Anaesthetist's Society. He was one of those responsible for inaug urating the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiology and was P resident of the First World Congress of Anaesthesiology in 1955. It is remarkable that the introduction of curare into anaesthetic practice was delayed until 1942, since curare had been used in anaesthesia some 30 years previously. However, it was probably Griffith's confidence i n his own clinical abilities which enabled him to seize the opportunit y when it was offered.