I was honored to know Dr. Hingson and his wife Gussie, through a family connection, and was truly awed by the man’s genius, even when I was a teenager. Gussie was a lifelong friend of an older cousin, and I have many letters and Christmas cards they exchanged over the years.
The New York Times noted in their obituary of Dr. Hingson in 1996: Robert Andrew Hingson [was] a pioneer in the field of public health who made important contributions to anesthesia for safer, easier childbirth and to mass immunizations with the ”jet” injection…[his] fame was assured well before this relief work. His invention of continuous caudal — posterior — anesthesia and perfection of lumbar epidural anesthesia to prevent pain in childbirth earned him worldwide recognition.
Both techniques are credited with reducing maternal and infant mortality around the world. Dr. Hingson began epidural and jet injections as a fledgling physician when he was the director of anesthesia at the United States Marine Hospital on Staten Island from 1941 to 1943.
His jet injector speeded mass inoculations against many diseases, without needles or syringes. Hundreds of people could be inoculated in an hour, making the injector a vital tool in eradicating small pox.
In 1962 Dr. Hingson led a team that immunized a million people against smallpox in Liberia. In 1967 his foundation vaccinated 846,000 people against smallpox in Costa Rica and immunized people there against epidemics of measles and polio…
Who was the architect who designed the Hingson home?
Beautiful home. Wonderful history!
Brian, I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Hingson while working at Dorminy Medical Center in Fitzgerald. He was guest at one of our medical staff meetings and he entertained us with tales of his career. He told us one of the reasons he and his fellow physicians came up with the epidural was because their commander at the naval hospital told them to figure out something to quieten the ladies in labor! The OB ward was next to the wing in the hospital where the officers were being treated and they would sometimes hear all the goings on in the OB ward! Just wanted to share that tidbit!
That’s wonderful, Linda. He was a fascinating man, indeed.
I met Dr.. Hingson while working at Dill’s Hardware in the 80’s. I interviewed him for a college project and when I visited his home to return a book he had loaned me, he had visitors from Kenya. They were in their native dress enjoying refreshments on his back lawn. He was one of the most interesting people i have ever known.
They were such amazing people and welcomed people of all cultures and backgrounds.
Wonderful story, Linda. Thanks for sharing.