His history-making achievement and the continuous efforts by doctors to alleviate human suffering form the basis for celebrating Doctors Day each year. The ASA Committee on Communications is coordinating this year's celebration of Doctors Day with the 150th anniversary of the first use of modern obstetric anesthesia. At that time, pain was believed to be an integral part of the labor process, and Dr. Simpson's contention that pain had no physiologic value was disputed by many medical practitioners of the day. Public sentiment, however, was strongly in support of pain relief during childbirth - and the rest, as they say, is history. While Dr. Simpson's accomplishments in obstetric anesthesia deserve due credit, he has been followed by many others who also made significant contributions to pain relief during childbirth.
Today there are a variety of safe and effective choices for a more comfortable childbirth.
The use of epidural anesthesia alone has grown dramatically in the last decade. In 1981, epidural blocks made up only 16 percent of the anesthetics provided to women during labor. By 1992, that number had more than doubled to 33 percent, and the number continues to climb. The anesthesiologist today, like Dr. Simpson long ago, continues to be an advocate for the patient seeking pain relief. This medical specialist is also involved in the research and treatment of pain.