Pharyngeale Insufflation, ein einfacher Apparat für künstliche Atmung am Menschen; nebst Bemerkungen über andere Methoden der künstlichen Atmung. IN: Berl. klin. Wschr. , 1915, 52, S. 425-430, 4 Abb. , Br. …

"Dr. Samuel J. Meltzer was born in 1851 in Russia. His family emigrated to Germany where, bent on a medical career, he received his medical degree from the University of Berlin in 1882. As was the case with other Jews, he saw less future in Germany than in America and came to this country in 1883 by working his way as a ship`s surgeon. [...] For thoracic surgeons, his most meritorious work was on intratracheal insufflation, the forerunner of present methods of anesthesia. In most of this work, he was aided by Dr. John Auer and it might be said that they backed into this contribution. They had published 25 papers covering their observations on the unconscious and relaxed state produced by the injection of magnesium sulphate and its reversibility by calcium. Its toxicity interdicted its anticipated use for anesthesia but it did find some application in theseizures of tetanus. Their knowledge of the inhibitory effects of magnesium on the respiratory center led to a study of the currently available methods of artificial respiration to prevent acute pneumothorax. They conceived the idea of blowing air into the trachea, which they dubbed intratracheal insufflation. To facilitate the method, they designed the Meltzer-Auer tube. Soon afterwards, they demonstrated that respiration could be satisfactorily maintained by this means, even with both the thoracic cavities of a dog widely open. This work was first reported in 1909 in the Medical Record. At about the same time, Sauerbruch was returning to New York with his differential chamber, following its demonstration in Chicago. Upon departing for Europe, he left his chamber with Willy Meyer, and, since Dr. Meyer had no place to put it, Dr. Meltzer provided space in his laboratory. There followed a brisk competition to determine which of these two methods would sustain respiration more adequately during open thoracic operations. Meltzer soon incorporated anesthetic capabilities in his method and urged its use. Experimentally, and then clinically, Carrel, Lilienthal, Elsberg, and eventually Meyer demonstrated the great superiority of insufflation. Therewith ended the dread of open pneumothorax and mediastinal flutter in thoracic operations." [See: Website: American Association for Thoracic Surgery].