Dr James (Jim) Villiers went to Vietnam as an anaesthetist with the Australian Surgical Team (civilian) during 1963. He used this bag for carry-on luggage. Despite assurances about the quality of resources available on arrival, he carried an essential part of the breathing circuit for an EMO vaporiser in his carry-on. The actual vaporiser was packed in his check-in luggage. In 1963 the Vietnamese government sought training in Australia in anaesthetics for several medical technicians. Australia was not able to meet the request as anaesthesia training in Australia is restricted to qualified doctors. Instead, the Dean of the Faculty of Anaesthetists at RACS suggested sending a team of anaesthetists to Vietnam to conduct training for technicians there. However, they requested a preliminary survey be undertaken in order to determine the abilities of the prospective trainees and establish contacts with medical authorities in Vietnam. James (Jim) Villiers was one of the people who undertook the survey and made a report. Training of Vietnamese medical technicians was undertaken using the Epstein MacIntosh Oxford Anaesthetic Apparatus (EMO). This equipment was robust, portable and relatively cheap, there are few moving parts for servicing, it requires only ether and air for operation.Brick-red vinyl bag with white Qantas branding including the flying kangaroo printed on both sides. The bag has a zipper opening and contains an anaesthetic apparatus mounted on a piece of wooden particle board. There are two black hoses, a white hose, a black plastic connector, a metal t-bar connect, a green resuscitation bag and black face mask.james villiers, malignant hyperthermia, vietnam, qantas, australian surgical team, long xuyen, bien hoa, anaesthesia training

Possibly part of a series of photographs taken at the Geoffrey Kaye Museum when it was located at the University of Melbourne in the late 1940s, photographer unknown. The photograph was reproduced in the book One Grand Chain : The History of Anaesthesia in Australia 1846 - 1962 : Volume 2 1934 - 1962, Gwen Wilson, edited by Jeanette Thirlwell Jones, on page 459.Black and white photography depicting a group of six male students rehearsing with anaesthetic apparatus. Five of the students are standing and one student on the left of the photograph is sitting and holding an inhaler to his face. There are two apparatus displayed.•Handwritten in grey pencil on reverse: Frame 17 •Handwritten in blue ink on reverse: sample. •Handwritten in grey pencil on reverse: 2 [in a circle] •Handwritten in grey pencil on reverse: 15 [in a circle, with the 5 crossed out] •Label which was originally glued to bottom on photograph which has since detached, written in all capitals with white ink on black paper: Students rehearsing with current apparatus, displayed in functional order and in sectionstudents, training session, anaesthetic machine

At the time of issue, anaesthesia was a practice still in its infancy. Proficiency in anaesthesia was determined by successful demonstration of a small number of administrations. It was also built into the existing medical qualifications and not a specialty in its own right. Dr Montefiore David Silberberg completed his training at the Melbourne and Children's Hospitals and went to London where he was clinical assistant to Sir James Mackenzie and was associated with Sir Thomas Lewis who did ground-breaking work on digitalis and electrocardiography. When he returned to Melbourne, he brought with him the first electrocardiograph used in medical practice in Australia. He started working in Collins Street and at the Melbourne Hospital as a specialist in heart problems. During World War I, he served in Egypt in 14 Australian General Hospital 1914-16. In 1919 he was appointed physician to outpatients at the Alfred Hospital while also working at the Children's Hospital and at Repatriation General Hospital. He was appointed inpatient physician at the Alfred Hospital in 1925 and, at about the same time, a University of Melbourne Stewart Lecturer in Medicine. He mentored many young cardiologists during his lifetime, providing instruction at the hospitals where he worked and holding regular extra-curricula meetings at his home.Handwritten certificate from the University of Melbourne acknowledging the proficiency of Montefiore David Silberberg in the administration of anaesthesia. The certificate has been adhered to a piece of cardboard which was the backing board when it was previously framed.Contents of handwritten certificate: This is to certify that / Montefiore David Silberberg / during the year 1906 / attended [scribbled over] has personally / conducted six cases of / anaesthetic + / proficiency in administring anaesthetics / 22.12.06 Es Embley MD / Hon Anaesthetist / Melb Hosp Handwritten in pencil at bottom of certificate: 9 + 6 3/4 / 6 - 4 3/4 Handwritten in pencil on reverse: K. BROWN / Dr. Kaye / 9 + 6 3/4 / 6 - 4 3/4 / 1/4 [indecipherable] / Dr Kaye [underlined] / 124 Anderson St / South Yarrasilberberg, cardiology, electrocardiograph, world war i, wwi, egypt, alfred hospital, children's hospital, repatriation general hospital, proficiency, anaesthesia

Robin William Smallwood completed medicine at the University of Melbourne in 1958 and decided on anaesthesia as a career, attaining his FFARACS in 1964. Smallwood was Dean of the Faculty of Anaesthetists at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons from 1986 - 1987. Smallwood died 6 October 1987 after a brief illness and was awarded the Orton Medal posthumously. The Orton Medal is the highest single achievement the College can bestow. Anaesthesia had its origins in October 1846 in America, by May 1847 news of ether anaesthesia had reached Australian shores and by June 1847 Australian medical practitioners had begun experimenting with and demonstrating ether anaesthesia. Anaesthesia was not really recognised as a distinct branch of medicine in Australia until the first Diploma of Anaesthesia course began in Sydney in 1944. The specialty grew quickly and by 1952 the Faculty of Anaesthesia at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons had been established. Within 40 years the Faculty had grown to such an extent it became a College in its own right and continues to offer training and professional support to anaesthetists.Printed certificate from the Faculty of Anaesthetists of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) awarded to Robin William Smallwood as a Fellowship. Printed in black ink at the top of the certificate is the RACS coat of arms. The certificate is dated 25 Feburary 1965 and has been signed by President of the College, Member Executive Committee, Dean of the Faculty and the Secretary.smallwood, robin william, orton, robert, faculty of anaesthetists, royal australasian college of surgeons, ffaracs, racs, fanzca

Dr Geoffrey Kaye was a clinical anaesthetist at a time when very few full time anaesthetists existed. He was passionate about the training of future anaesthetists and would often section anaesthetic equipment to reveal its inner workings and show those to students. This Probyn Williams Inhaler is one apparatus which has been sectioned and the various elements of the inhaler have been painted to highlight the differences in function.Oval shaped metal inhaler with attached metal facemask. The inhaler has been sectioned to reveal its inner workings and the ether chamber has been painted black while the air-channel has been painted red. The manufacturer's logo, stamped into the inhaler, has been sectioned as well, leaving only half the information available.Engraved on dome side of inhaler: PROBYN WILLIAMS / G.K. sect. 1939 •Stamped into dome side of inhaler MAYER & / LONanaesthesia, anaesthetist, inhaler, ether, medical history