I’ve felt like a fly on the wall in the pain medicine archives
Today we finished our research at the University of California Pain Medicine archives. It’s been an extraordinary experience.
I’ve felt like a fly on the wall watching the early pioneers of pain medicine establish this new field of medicine.
Their letters reveal so much about them as deeply committed doctors trying to reduce suffering from intractable pain.
I had so many questions and gaps in my understanding of the formation of the Australian Pain Society and Michael Cousins’ role in establishing two pain centres in Australia but all my questions were answered by studying his letters with John J. Bonica, the father of pain medicine.
I can’t thank my fellow detective Ian Davies enough for sitting with me day after day ploughing through 20 boxes of archival material
