Anesthesia for the uninterested

This book does not presume that the student is fascinated by anesthesia and craves vast knowledge of the subject. No student drops out of school for failing anesthesia, and many could care less about it. We shall try to provide a concise, interesting, and, above all, readable resumé that can be painlessly consumed in a few nights. Portions are set in a programmed format to facilitate retention and to provide a break in the monotony of prose. Many illustrations are used; some are of dubious educational value but may be entertaining. Obstetric and pediatric anesthesia are complete subspecialties, and so they have been omitted in order to reduce the volume and cost of this book. It is hoped that after reading this book and spending a few days in an anesthesia department, the student will appreciate that anesthesia is not just long boring periods interrupted by crises. Rather, it is a discipline based on physiology and pharmacology that encompasses the whole spectrum of medicine, necessitating a working knowledge of gaseous physics, pediatrics, obstetrics, medicine surgery, and research laboratory techniques.