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There were twobrilliant anaesthetist but mad
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. 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 trial in a wheelchair led to sone changes in the building to facilitate that. P
Both were mad 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 there. Fraser was the Sane one in that department.


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