Take a talk and walk on the wild side, as Prof David Hatch, a retired paediatric anaesthetist who worked at Great Ormond St Hospital explores the incredible — and sometimes gruesome — history of anaesthesia.
This will be followed by a walk around the medical hotspots of Soho and Fitzrovia led by Dr Robert Feneck (St Thomas’ Hospital).
The walk ends with a chance to catch up with colleagues at an iconic pub.
Here’s a taste of what to expect from John Illman:
There are relatively few great turning points in history. The introduction of anaesthesia was one of them. Until its discovery, surgery was only a last and desperate resort, bedevilled by unimaginable terror and agony. It was often a death sentence. Today the chance of dying during planned surgery is reported to be about one in 100,000 and anaesthesia has made possible a wide range of operations now taken for granted — from joint replacements to open heart surgery and organ transplants.
Hahn Tracheostomy Tube
As a special autumn treat for our members, we have organised a fascinating (and possibly gruesome!) outing to the Association of Anesthetists in Portland Streets to unravel the remarkable history of this specialty.
Our event, exclusive to members of the MJA, begins at 3:30pm with an absorbing forty-minute talk by a retired consultant anesthetist with a special interest in the history of their profession. Following the talk, we will be taking on a 90 minute guided, medical walk through the streets and back alleys of Fiztrovia, Soho and Mayfair, where we learn about some of the key moment in medical history.
We finish – where else – but in the iconic John Snow public house (named after the father of public medicine Dr John Snow) in Broad Street, Soho where members are welcome to stay for as long as they wish to catch up with friends and colleagues.
Date: Friday October 28, 2022
Time: Meet 3:00 for 3:30pm
Venue: The Association of Anaesthetists, 21 Portland Street, London W1B 1PY.
Cost: £5, partners and friends are also welcome.
You can pay on the day. Details of how to pay ahead of the walk are also in the confirmation email you will receive once you have submitted your registration form below. If you don’t receive this confirmation email please contact
NB We recommend you arrive in good time to take a look around the engrossing exhibits of the Heritage Centre.
With thanks to EC members John Illman and Isla Whitcroft for organising this members’ event.
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