Crawford W. Long Museum Celebrates 175th Anniversary of the Discovery of Anesthesia
JEFFERSON, GA — National Doctor’s Day is celebrated on March 30th each year in honor of the day Dr. Crawford W. Long performed the first painless surgery using sulphuric ether. This year marks the 175th anniversary of this medical milestone. The Crawford W. Long Museum will offer a free lecture program on Long’s Birthday, November 1st. Presentation by Flynn Warren, retired UGA Professor of Pharmacy will begin at 6:30 pm. The presentation is free to the public and will be held at the Jefferson Community Room, 1000 Washington Street. Free birthday cake provided by Ferranti’s Cakery will be served.
Flynn’s talk covers the state of surgery before the availability of anesthesia, a brief history of Dr. Long’s education, the story of his discovery, the Civil War, treatment of patients, including slaves and the role of anesthesia in modern medicine. He touches on the ether controversy and the battle for recognition, including the never awarded Federal dollars.
Flynn received his Masters of Science in Hospital Pharmacy from the University of Georgia and has been a licensed pharmacist for over 50 years.
From 1967 to 1977 Flynn served on the faculty of the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy and, in 1972, initiated the program to train clinical pharmacy students at the Medical College of Georgia, in Augusta. Flynn was President of the Georgia Pharmacy Association in 2003-04 and is currently President of the 10th Region of the Georgia Pharmacy Association and serves on the Georgia Board of Directors of the Georgia Pharmacy Foundation. Appointed to the Board of Health and the Land Use and Transportation Committee in Oconee County, Flynn is also a region director of the International Association of Torch Clubs.
The first 125 attendees will receive a commemorative card with the 2 cent Crawford Long postage stamp issued in 1940 in the Famous American Series.
To learn more about Dr. Crawford W. Long, visit the museum’s site at www.crawfordlong.org.