Eugen Bogdan Aburel (1899–1975)

More than 50 years ago, on 12 January 1931, a young foreign doctor presented a paper entitled ‘L’anestesie locale continue (prolongee) en obstetrique’ at a meeting of the obstetric and gynaecological society of Paris.[ This paper described for the first time a technique of continuous epidural (caudal) and lumbo-aortic plexus block for the relief of pain in childbirth, and the principles remain valid today. The method of continuous epidural (caudal) analgesia was considered 12 years later as ‘a distinct advancement in surgery, but a potential revolution in obstetr i c ~ ’ . ~ The name of this doctor, who dedicated the greatest part of his professional life to the problems of pain relief in labour is as little known today as it was 50 years ago. Apart from one communication by D o ~ g h t y , ~ no other paper in the English language literature concerning continuous epidural analgesia in obstetrics mentions him. His name was Eugen Bogdan Aburel (Fig. 1). Aburel was born on 23 January 1899 in Galatzi, Rumania. Being gifted in physics and Fig. 1. Eugen Bogdan Aburel (1 899-1 975).

[1]  J. Cleland.  PARAVERTEBRAL AN??STHESIA IN OBSTETRICS EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL BASIS , 1981 .

[2]  A. Doughty.  Epidural Analgesia in Labour: The Past, the Present and the Future 1 , 1978, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

[3]  F. Lepage.  [Eugen Aburel, 1899-1975]. , 1976, Journal de gynecologie, obstetrique et biologie de la reproduction.

[4]  R. Hingson,et al.  Conduction anesthesia and analgesia for obstetrics. , 1961, Clinical obstetrics and gynecology.

[5]  M. Benzinger,et al.  CONTINUOUS CAUDAL ANALGESIA IN OBSTETRICS: combined experience of a quarter of a century in clinics in NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, MEMPHIS, BALTIMORE and CLEVELAND , 1961, Anesthesia and analgesia.

[6]  R. Rodriguez.  EPIDURAL ANESTHESIA IN OBSTETRICS , 1959, Ginecologia y obstetricia de Mexico.

[7]  J. Cleland.  Continuous peridural and caudal block in obstetrics and surgery with postoperative analgesia. , 1952, Current researches in anesthesia & analgesia.

[8]  J. Cleland.  Continuous peridural and caudal analgesia in obstetrics. , 1949, Current researches in anesthesia & analgesia.

[9]  R. Hingson,et al.  CONTINUOUS CAUDAL ANALGESIA: AN ANALYSIS OF THE FIRST TEN THOUSAND CONFINEMENTS THUS MANAGED WITH THE REPORT OF THE AUTHORS' FIRST THOUSAND CASES , 1943 .

[10]  R. Hingson,et al.  The Present Status of Continuous Caudal Analgesia in Obstetrics. , 1943, Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine.

[11]  W. B. Edwards,et al.  COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF CONTINUOUS CAUDAL ANALGESIA FOR ANESTHETISTS , 1943 .

[12]  C. Moir.  The Nature of the Pain of Labour * , 1939 .

[13]  G. W. Theobald.  REFERRED PAIN AND IN PARTICULAR THAT ASSOCIATED WITH DYSMENORRHOEA AND LABOUR , 1936, British medical journal.

[14]  A. M. Dogliotti,et al.  Segmental peridural spinal anesthesia , 1933 .

[15]  B. Whitehouse,et al.  Certain Observations on the Innervation of the Uterus. * , 1923 .

[16]  J. Mackenzie.  Symptoms and Their Interpretation , 1912, The Indian Medical Gazette.

[17]  J. Bonica.  Peripheral Mechanisms and Pathways of Parturition Pain , 1979 .

[18]  J. Owen.  The immune system--some basic concepts. , 1979, British journal of anaesthesia.

[19]  M. MARTINEZ CURBELO.  Continuous peridural segmental anesthesia by means of a ureteral catheter. , 1949, Current researches in anesthesia & analgesia.

[20]  H. L. Rogers.  Continuous caudal anesthesia. , 1946, Journal of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.

[21]  R. Hingson,et al.  Continuous Peridural Anesthesia. , 1944 .

[22]  W. T. Lemmon.  A METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS SPINAL ANESTHESIA: A PRELIMINARY REPORT. , 1940, Annals of surgery.

[23]  C. F. Hodge,et al.  On Disturbances of Sensation with Especial Reference to the Pain of Visceral Disease , 1894 .

[24]  James Ross.  ON THE SEGMENTAL DISTRIBUTION OF SENSORY DISORDERS , 1888 .