'There shall be no pain'
The history of the discovery of laughing gas anesthesia by Wells is described. The tendency of the modern anesthesiologist to oocupy himself with critical care medicine (CCM) is discussed. According to the author, CCM is only a detail of anesthesiology and it would be regretted if the anesthesiologist were no longer to use his special knowledge for that which should remain the starting point of the specialty: there shall be no pain.