ANESTHESIA AND POPULAR CULTURE
A.J. Wright, M.L.S.
Clinical Librarian
Department of Anesthesiology Library
School of Medicine
University of Alabama at Birmingham
For a number of years I have been collecting examples of anesthesia in popular culture---films, television shows, novels, poetry, comics, etc. On this page I will begin sharing some of what I've found...A.J. Wright
A selected "Anesthesia and Pain in
the News" page is available.
See also: *Literature, Arts, and Medicine database
| Films | Miscellaneous | Music | Novels | Plays | Bibliography |
FILMS
[more information on many of these films and their directors, stars, etc., can be
found in the Internet Movie Database]
Anesthesia [USA, 1938)
Comedy short
Directed by Will Jason (1899-1970)
Depicts history of anesthesia from ancient Egypt to present day
The
Great Moment [USA, Paramount Studios, 1944]
Directed by Preston Sturges
Laughing Gas [USA, 1914]
Silent comedy short; 16 minutes
Directed by Charles Chaplin
Chaplin plays a dentist's assistant
Known by several other titles, including "Laffing Gas"
Laughing Gas [USA1931]
Animated short
Directed by Ub Iwerks (1901-1971)
MISCELLANEOUS
Ether Monument, Boston Public Garden
[from: Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the
Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920,
a Library of Congress American Memory Collection]
Laughing Gas
[a book published in 1973 that contains numerous accounts of laughing gas
inhalation;
the book has recently been reprinted by Ronin Publishing]
Living
Made Easy: Prescription for Scolding Wives [1830]
MUSIC
"Anesthesia" performed by 213
appears in Twilight Zone: The Movie [1983]
Ether Dear" [1881]
Wil H. Bray
This image is taken from the Library of Congress' American Memory Collection
"Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, 1870-1885" I have not seen
the sheet music, so I have no idea if
"ether" in this context is the anesthetic gas.
"Oslerized "[1905]
Composer: Angus M. Raphael**Lyricist: Monroe H. Schwarzschild**Illustrator: Frew
Sheet music cover, courtesy of the Historic
American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 Collection at Duke University Libraries.
The label on the bottle Osler is holding reads "Chloroform."
NOVELS
Die
Laughing - Carola Dunn [St. Martin's Minotaur, 2003]
(Daisy Dalrymple Series No. 12) Once again
we meet Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher(#12 in this series) who has a date with someone
we all avoid or at least hesitate to see, the dentist. Gathering up all her
courage,and stiffening her backbone Daisy enters of office of Dr. Talmage and
finds a waiting room empty and the exam room locked. Unfortunately Daisy's
retreat is stopped by the nurse returning and with the help of Mrs. Talmage they
begin a search for the doctor. They exhaust all rooms and finally open the
examination room where they find him with a gas mask over his face, connected to
a tank of nitrous turned on full, a smile on his face but unfortunately cold
dead. Most think the death an unfortunate accident by a careless dope fiend
except Daisy who determines to find out who killed the doctor.
Narkose; der Roman vom Kampf Gegen den Schmerz (Zurich and Leipzig: A.
Muller, 1938)
Adolf Koelsch
[This 363pp novel is based on the life of William T.G. Morton]
PLAYS
Laughing Gas (1915)
Theodore Dreiser
one-act; first published in the Smart Set in February, 1915
see Wright AJ. Theodore Dreiser's "Laughing Gas". Anesth
Analg 69:391-392, 1989
Oxygen (1999)
Carl Djerassi and Roald Hoffman
reading rehearsal at Cornell University, October 1999
Lavoisier, Priestley, and Scheele are characters
BIBLIOGRAPHY
*Wright AJ. Theodore Dreiser's "Laughing Gas". Anesth Analg 69:391-392, 1989