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There were two
One was Michael Bookallil. He told me that he passed the Anaesthetic exams (fellowship) without studying and anyone who found it hard were stupid.
The other was Bruce Clifton. Clifton thought that the Anaesthetic fellowship exams was beneath him. The story about the practice on the dead patient is famous at RPAH and formed part of his obituary screenshot below. He was also famous for demonstrating the effectiveness of mouth to mouth on anaesthetised volunteers to lifesaving societies. This led to the widespread use in resuscitation in Australia and around the world.. I don't know who would volunteer to be anaesthetised, paralysed and then let Clifton do mouth to mouth on them.
He also demonstrated that paraplegia and wheelchair was not an impediment to an anaesthetic career at RPAH and his wheelchair trial, because his colleague Tom Fraser became a paraplegic, led to some changes in the building to facilitate that. This was before the Disabilities Act.
One could say that mouth to mouth resuscitation along with the Black box is an Australian invention, because while first demonstrated hundreds of years prior, it was scientifically validated at RPAH
After retirement Clifton became a prolific gardener
Both were mad ( I think more than just eccentric)) and both never married but both medical pioneers.
When I did my anaesthetic term, Clifton had just retired, but Bookallil was there reminding the juniors like me of our unsalvageable incompetence. Tom Fraser (the wheelchair Anaesthetist mentioned in the obituary) was still there. Fraser was definitely the Sane one in that department.
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