[August Karl Bier--one hundred years of cocaine use in spinal anesthesia]

It is a history of cocaine use by A.K. Bier in spinal anaesthesia. A.K. Bier was a pioneer of spinal anaesthesia with cocaine. He described his experience with this technique in 6 patients. This contribution was the first clinical word concerning a description of instruments and complication of spinal anaesthesia with cocaine. First in Poland who used cocaine in spinal anaesthesia was Franciszek Kijewski, surgeon from Warsaw.