Obituary Dr. Harold Griffith 1894-1985 · Obituary Dr. Harold Griffith 1894-1985 Dr. Harold Randall Griffith was one of the great contributors to world medicine. The outstanding achievement

570

Obituary

Dr. Harold Griffith1894-1985

Dr. Harold Randall Griffith was one of the greatcontributors to world medicine. The outstandingachievement of his career was the introduction ofmuscle relaxants to the practice of anaesthesia onJanuary 23, 1942. On that day he made it possiblefor anaesthetists to take a giant step forward inreducing anaesthesia morbidity and mortality,which allowed for the rapid development of surgeryof all types which we now take for granted. Theanaesthesia world has recognized his achievements,for there are few physicians who have made as greata contribution to medicine in the 20th century. Thebook, Arrows of Mercy by Phillip Smith, publishedby Doubleday Canada Limited 1969, is an exten-sive biography and life story of this modest geniuswho captured the admiration and affection of somany whose lives crossed his path.

Harold Randall Griffith was born July 25, 1894,and died May 7,1985. The last two years of his lifewere years of progressive debilitation from Parkin-son's disease but were endured with the same greatcourage that propelled him through his ninety years.

He graduated from the High School of Montrealin 1910, received his BA from McGill University in

1914, and his MD CM in 1922. Hahnemann MedicalCollege in Philadelphia granted him an MD inhomeopathic medicine in 1923.

His training in medicine at McGill was inter-rupted by World War I during which he served inNo. 6 Field Ambulance (a McGill unit) as astretcher bearer. He was awarded the MilitaryMedal for "bravery in the field" at the battle of VimyRidge. An opportunity presented itself for transferout of the trenches and mud of France to the blueskies of the Mediterranean, which he took, and hefinished that war as a probationer Surgeon Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. It is interesting tonote that in World War II he was a consultant inanaesthesia to the Royal Canadian Air Force and,thus, had the distinction of serving in all threebranches of the armed forces of his country.

He developed his interest in anaesthesia as amedical student during which time he gave manyanaesthetics and developed an acute awareness ofthe subtleties essential for safe anaesthesia practice,with the drugs and techniques available at that time.It is not surprising, therefore, that anaesthesiabecame his professional career and that he served asAnaesthetist-in-Chief at the Homeopathic Hospital,subsequently called the Queen Elizabeth Hospital,from 1923 to 1959, and remained active as ananaesthetist until 1966.

During World War II there was a dire need foranaesthesia personnel at base hospitals and hehelped to organize a teaching programme in anaes-thesia for physicians in the armed forces. Some ofthese early trainees subsequently became highlyrespected and well-known anaesthetists. More im-portantly, however, it led him to organize anddevelop the McGill Diploma Course in Anaesthe-sia. A feature of the original diploma course was theweekly meetings to which all staff and residentswent, including those from the University of Mont-real. At these a resident presented a paper and there

OBITUARY 571

was a guest speaker. Basic science lectures wereorganized with the co-operation of other McGillstaff.

In 1946 he was made a Lecturer in the newlyformed Department of Anaesthesia under ProfessorWesley Bourne. He was promoted to AssistantProfessor in 1948 and from 1951 to 1956 served asProfessor and Chairman of the Department. He wasnamed Professor Emeritus in 1956. Thus, Dr.Harold, as he was affectionately known, becameone of Canada's best known anaesthetists withoutever having had any formal training in anaesthesia.He attributed this to the incredible good fortune ofhaving as good friends the three men he believed tobe the leading anaesthetists in the world. Theywere: Dr. Frank McMechan of Cleveland, whofounded the International Anesthesia Research So-ciety; Dr. Wesley Bourne of Montreal, and Dr.Ralph Waters of the University of Wisconsin.These three men were fighting the difficult battle ofgaining recognition for anaesthesia as a specialtyand they soon had Dr. Griffith deeply involved inthe fray. He realized that much needed to be done toimprove anaesthesia and he developed an intenseinterest in trying out every new idea. He waspractising in the Homeopathic Hospital where hisfather served for 30 years as the first MedicalDirector. His brother, Jim, was the Surgeon-in-Chief, and Harold, the Anaesthetist-in-Chief.

Jim was extremely supportive of what Haroldwas trying to do. It was an age when there was verylittle government interest or control of doctors'activities. "Let your conscience be your guide" wasliterally the principle which controlled all thatdoctors wanted to do. Thus, he soon found ethyleneto be superior to nitrous oxide and used it for tenyears, from 1923 to 1933, and was the only doctorin Montreal to do so. It was during this time that hebegan to write articles for anaesthesia journalsemphasizing anaesthetic techniques that wouldreduce anaesthetic risk. Dr. Waters introduced himto cyclopropane which he used from 1933 (the firstCanadian to do so) to the end of his career. He wroteextensively about cyclopropane and became recog-nized as a world expert in its use. It was always hispractice to carefully monitor respiration and recordvital signs. It was with this background that he knewthat he could produce muscle relaxation with curareand improve operating conditions for the surgeon.

As Chairman of the Department of Anaesthesia at

McGill he felt that teaching had to be supplementedby research and he persuaded Sir Henry Dale andthe Wellcome Trust to support a research professor-ship. Sir Gordon Robson set up the Department ofResearch in Anaesthesia which is now directed byProfessor K. Krnjevic.

Progress in anaesthesia, as in all fields, dependson communication between workers in the field andthis led Dr. Griffith to develop an anaesthesiasociety in Montreal in co-operation with FrenchCanadian doctors in Quebec. He then set aboutorganizing anaesthetists throughout Canada. Hebecame the first president of the Canadian Anaes-thetists' Society and served as a member of Councilfor the next 20 years. He was also chosen by Dr.McMechan to take an active part in the work of theInternational Anesthesia Research Society, whichwas the principal anaesthesia association prior tothe founding of the American Society of Anes-thesiologists. In the 1950's he became interested inthe world-wide organization of anaesthetists and in1956 led a delegation to Cuba, and in 1957 waschairman of a congress in London and one in Paris.He worked with representatives of several countriesto create the World Federation of Societies ofAnesthesiologists. He became its first President atthe inaugural congress in Holland in 1955. At thesecond congress which was held in Toronto in 1959he was given the permanent title of Founder-President. He accomplished all this while being abusy clinical anaesthetist, researcher and presti-gious writer. His seventy-three publications to 1963were collated in a book entitled "The BoundlessRealm of Anaesthesiology" and presented to him incommemoration of the 21st anniversary of the useof curare.

In 1943 Dr. Griffith established the first post-operative recovery room in Canada which he be-lieved may have been his major contribution topatient care. This was done in spite of considerableopposition by hospital authorities who claimed itwas just a useless way to spend money. Anotherpioneering advance in patient care that he institutedat the Queen Elizabeth Hospital was the opening ofan Intensive Care Unit in 1961.

The enormity of his energy becomes evidentfrom his numerous activities which he carried onwhile acting as hospital administrator, chairman ofthe Department of Anaesthesia, and researcher. Hewas secretary of the Montreal Society of Anaes-

572 CANADIAN ANAESTHETISTS' SOCIETY JOURNAL

thetists from 1940-43, first president of the Cana-dian Anaesthetits' Society from 1943-6, presidentof the International Anesthesia Research Society(IARS), 1948, chairman of the Board of Trustees ofthe International Anesthesia Research Society1949-52, chairman of the organizing committee,World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists1951-5, trustee of the IARS and member of theeditorial board of Anesthesia and Analgesia 1952—61, vice-president of the American Society ofAnesthesiologists, 1946, vice-president, Academyof Anesthesiologists 1952-5, and president of theWorld Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists,1955.

The prodigious efforts of this humble, quiet,unassuming but energetic man did not go unrecog-nized and he received numerous awards for hismagnificent contributions to the expanding spe-cialty of anaesthesia.

In 1922 Dr. Harold married Linda Aylen, aschoolmate, and they had a long and happy lifetogether. He is survived by his wife of sixty-threeyears, by two daughters, Linda Mary Jacobson andBarbara Clark, and by five grandsons, one of whomis now a medical student at McGill, and by greatgrand-daughter, Anna. In addition, he had a specialfamily from many national backgrounds: all thosewho were honoured to call him Uncle Harold.

It is fitting to quote Dr. Griffith who wrote, "Igive thanks to God for giving me such a long andhappy life, such a fine family and so many friends -a life that has been full of useful work and lots offun."

We salute and remember a friend, wise coun-selor, innovator, and loved physician, Harold Ran-dall Griffith, OC MM MD CM FRCPC FFARCS.

- Feltrinelli Prize of Academe dei Lincei, Rome,1954.

- Hickman Medal of Royal Society of Medicine,London, 1956.

- Distinguished Service Award, American Societyof Anesthesiologists, 1959. (Only non-Ameri-can to receive this award.)

- Founder-President, World Federation of Socie-ties of Anesthesiologists, 1959.

- Canadian Anaesthetists' Society Medal, 1962.- Ralph Waters Award, Illinois Society of Anes-

thesiology, 1970.

- Officer, Order of Canada, 1974.- Honorary LLD, University of Saskatchewan,

1974.

Deirdre M.M. Gillies MB CHB FRCPC,J. Earl Wynands, MD CM FRCPC,Montreal, Quebec.

Obituaire

Dr Harold Griffith1894-1985

Le docteur Harold Randall Griffith e"tait l'un desplus grands contributeurs dans le domaine de lame'decine. L'exploi le plus marquant de sa carriere6tait l'introduction des relaxants musculaires dansla pratique anesthdsique le 23 Janvier 1942. Ce jourla, il a rendu possible aux anesthe"sistes de proce"derd'un grand pas vers la reduction de la morbidity et lamortality permettant ainsi ce qu'un prend actuelle-ment pour acquis dans le de"veloppement rapide dela chirurgie de toutes sortes. Les anesthe'sistes ontreconnu son exploi car tres peu de midecins ontrealise" une aussi grande contribution dans la mede-cine au 20e siecle. Le livre, Arrows of Mercy dePhillip Smith, publi6 par Doubleday Canada Limi-t6e 1969, est une biographie extensive de ce geniemodeste qui a capture" l'admiration et l'affection deplusieurs qui, de leur vivant, ont traverse" le m6mechemin que lui.

Harold Randall Griffith est n6 le 25 juillet 1894 etd6ce"d6 le 7 mai 1985. Les deux dernieres ann6es desa vie e"taient marquees par une faiblesse progres-sive due a la maladie de Parkinson qu'il avaitendure"e avec le meme courage qui l'a conduitjusqu'a quatre-vingt dix ans.

II a obtenu son diplome du High School ofMontreal en 1910, a rec,u son B.A. de l'Universite"McGill en 1914 et son M.D., CM. en 1922. Lafaculte" de m6decine Hahnemann de Philadelphielui a octroy6 son diplome de me'decine homeo-