OBITUARY

On 3 March we witnessed the end of an era with the passing of Arthur Barclay Bull, aged 80 years, after a short illness; an illness he bore with great dignity. He had enjoyed 20 happy and active years of retirement from the Chair of Anaesthesia at the University of Cape Town, having been its first incumbent.

Born on 18 March, 1920 in Burma, Arthur was the second son of three children of Dr. AB Bull snr., a much loved medical practitioner of Simonstown.
Bull graduated from UCT in 1943. Arthur enlisted in the SA Medical Corps, serving until the end of World war II. It was his experience during this time that first stimulated his interest in clinical anaesthesia
In 1948 he joined the staff of the Department of Anaesthetics of Groote Schuur Hospital as a registrar. He rounded off his training with a period of postgraduate study in England in 1953 during which he obtained the DARCPS (Ire.), later becoming a foundation FFARCS (Ire.).

The most formative period of his career followed in 1954 when he was selected as Nuffield Dominions Trust Clinical Assistant in the Oxford University Department of Anaesthesia for two years.

Professor Bull returned to Cape Town in 1956 to head the Department of Anaesthetics at the newly opened Red Cross War Memorial Childrens' Hospital. Thereafter his selection in 1960 as World Health Organization Travelling Fellow was a fitting prelude to his appointment as head of the UCT Department of Anaesthesia in 1961.

In recognition of his meritorius service in anaesthesia, the university promoted Arthur Bull to Associate Professor in 1963. In 1965 a major boost was given to the department by the creation in the University of a Full Chair of Anaesthesia and it was quite natural that he was appointed to this prestigious post.

In 1977 Professor Bull was elected Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Anaesthetics of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. In November 1982, a bronze medal was awarded to him by the Medical Association of SA in recognition of meritorius service rendered to the SA Society of Anaesthetists.

As professor, Arthur Bull applied himself to the creative building of his department into a sound service and teaching unit capable of meeting the clinical challenges imposed by the cutting edge of surgical advance. During his tenure, the staff establishment grew from 20 members responsible for 20 000 anaesthetics per year to 63 responsible for 50 000 anaesthetics per year together with involvement in the developing subspecialty services such as respiratory intensive care, trauma and pain therapy.

In the operating theatre he eschewed histrionics and radiated an air of purposeful calm. As Head of Department he was popular with his staff, rapidly attaining 'father figure' status because of his approachability and readiness to provide sage advice and support when needed. Behind all was a ready wit and a dry sense of humour.

Major improvements in paediatric and neonatal anaesthetic techniques followed from his introduction into clinical practice in SA of Halothane, having been involved in investigations of this new anaesthetic agent while at Oxford.

As important was his work in association with Professor Pat Smythe in the successful development of the use of prolonged neuromuscular blockade with intermittent positive pressure ventilation in the management of neonatal tetanus - a world first.

His collaboration with the Department of Electrical Engineering resulted in the design of a novel apparatus capable of warming units of cold stored blood pre transfusion by means of electromagnetic radiofrequency induction. Developed commercialy as the Taurus® Blood Warmer, this apparatus is still in standard use today.

Professor Bull also influenced greatly the direction and development of anaesthesiology in the national arena, after serving both the College of Medicine of SA and the SA Society of Anaesthetists.

For leisure he was a collector, valuer and skillful silversmith.
Arthur's family life was happy and stable, his marriage to Esmé passing its golden jubilee. They had three sons, Graham, Tony and Duncan with the eldest following in his father's choice of career. There are four grandchildren. To all of these we extend our condolences and sympathy for their loss of a truly grand old man who enlightened and enlivened the lives of so many of us.

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08/07/2001