Robert Reynolds Macintosh

Sir Robert Reynolds Macintosh (17 October 1897 – 28 August 1989) was a New Zealand-born British anaesthetist. He was the first professor of anaesthetics outside the United States.

Early life Macintosh was born 17 October 1897 in Timaru, New Zealand and baptised with the Māori name Rewi Rawhiti. He was the youngest son of Charles Nicholson Macintosh, newspaper editor and mayor of Timaru in 1901, and his wife, Lydia Beatrice Thompson.

In 1936, the University of Oxford approached Lord Nuffield to consider endowing three chairs in medicine, surgery, and obstetrics and gynaecology. Nuffield, who had received an anaesthetic from Macintosh, agreed, but against the university's wishes, insisted on the addition of a chair in anaesthetics, to be held by Macintosh. They could not ignore the £2 million on offer and Macintosh took up his appointment in February 1937, the first professor of anaesthetics outside America.

In the Second World War, Macintosh held the rank of Air Commodore and trained anaesthetists for the armed services. His research included hazardous experiments to test life jackets (immersing Edgar Alexander Pask in a wave tank while anaesthetised), the provision of respirable atmospheres in submarines and survival during parachute descent from high altitudes.

Macintosh studied unexplained deaths that occurred under anaesthesia and established a training programme. He travelled widely, giving demonstrations of "safe and simple" anaesthesia.

Macintosh married Dorothy Manning, whose sister Mary, was married to Archie Forbes.

Honours Macintosh was knighted in 1955, and received many honorary doctorates and fellowships.