The advances in the field of anaesthesiology and reanimation have contributed in all developed countries to the decrease in deaths occurring on the operating table (exitus in tabula), from the ratio 1: 100 (in the nineteenth century) down to approximately 1: 1000 (in the first half of the twentieth century) and finally to approxi mately 1: 10 000 (nowadays). Numerous human lives were saved not only through the intro duction of new medicine and methods but even more so by better training for the doctors and nurses who apply these new techni ques. I am happy about the splendid initiative of my...