Edward Sharpey-Schafer
Biography
- Born Edward Albert Schäfer on June 2, 1850 in Hornsey, England
- 1918 – Name change to Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer. In memory of his son John Sharpey Schafer, killed in action, his teacher and mentor William Sharpey (1802-1880)
- Died on March 29, 1935 in North Berwick, Scotland
Medical Eponyms
In 1941, Edgar Pask reviewed a range of methods of artificial respiration in the unconscious intubated patient (himself…) including the Silvester method; the Shaefer method; and Eve’s rocking method. Pask concluded that Eve’s rocking method (rocking on a stretcher to 45 degrees either side) was the method which could be most easily and safely applied. This method was duly adopted by the RAF and then the Navy.
In 1950, Gordon et al measured pulmonary air exchange in “recently deceased warm corpses, prior to the onset of rigor mortis and…within one hour of cessation of the heart beat”. They found that the Schafer method averaged 185cc; Eve’s rocking technique 225cc, and the Silvester technique 520 cc.
Key Medical Contributions
Major Publications
- Schäfer EA. The relative efficiency of certain methods of performing artificial respiration in man. Proc Roy Soc Edin 1903; 25: 39-50
Controversies
References
Biography
Eponymous terms
- Writer D. Resuscitation Great. Sir Edward Sharpey-Schafer and his simple and efficient method of performing artificial respiration. Resuscitation. 2004 May;61(2):113-6