UCSF Archives and Special Collections is expanding a collection of artifacts and archival materials dating back to the late 19th century documenting the history and development of anesthesia, in particular on the West Coast.
Arthur E. Guedel anesthesia collection, 1899-1998
Digitized materials from this collection can be found on Calisphere.
This extensive collection contains more than 40 linear feet of personal papers, rare books on the history and development of anesthesia, journals and artifacts, including anesthesia equipment and unique collection of artifacts from Richard Gill’s journey into Ecuador to collect curare, as well as audio-visual materials. It includes the papers and correspondence of several pioneers in the field on anesthesia, in particular, Richard C. Gill, Drs. Ralph Waters, Abram Elting Bennett, William Neff, and Arthur E. Guedel. It also includes Samuel Denson Family/Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California Department of Anesthesiology Archives containing correspondence between Arthur E. Guedel and Emery A. Rovenstine (ca. 1937 to 1947), series of case reports (which include several original EKGs) on Guedel’s study of cyclopropane anesthesia and cardiac arrhythmias, research notes and data, article and book drafts, and photographs
UCSF departmental records
UCSF faculty papers
- Stuart C. Cullen papers, 1931-1960
- Edmond Eger papers, 1960-1995
- Chauncey Depew Leake papers, 1912-1978
- John Severinghaus papers, 1955-1980 – Dr. John Severinghaus who developed the first blood gas analyzer, which measured pH, PCO2, and PO2 donated to the archives the prototypes of several apparatuses and blood gas machines he work on with Freeman Bradley.
Please contact us at Ask an Archivist if you have any questions about our anesthesia materials.
Search Calisphere to see digitized materials.