[Paul Sudeck--his contribution to anesthesia]

Paul Sudeck is not generally recognised as a pioneer in anaesthesia, although he is well known for the atrophy of bone named after him. However, he not only championed the use of ether as a safe anaesthetic agent, described a method of ether analgesia for outpatient surgery and devised an inhaler for its administration, but also reintroduced nitrous oxide into Germany and invented possibly the first circle carbon dioxide absorption system with an optional attachment for continuous positive pressure respiration useful for the performance of thoracotomies.