Harold R. Griffith, 1894-1985, Anesthesiologist

A set of four se-tenant stamps honouring the accomplishments of Canadian physicians was issued on March 15, 1991. The final Canadian doctor to be honoured is Harold Randall Griffith, who changed the philosophy and practice of anesthesiology when, in 1942, he introduced curare, a muscle relaxant that enabled surgeons to perform operations with relative ease. Born in Montreal on July 25, 1894, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill in 1914 before serving as a stretcher-bearer during the war. Returning home, he obtained two medical degrees. Following his successful use of curare, Griffith implemented the first recovery room in Canada in 1943. He was responsible for the development of the McGill Diploma course in Anesthesia and was active in both Canadian and international research societies in anesthesiology. He died May 7, 1985 of Parkinson's disease. Toronto designer René Milot portrayed the four doctors in front of buildings significant to their individual careers. Dr. Griffith is shown with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the background.