• Almiro dos Reis.
• Serviço Médico de Anestesia de São Paulo, Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz, São Paulo, SP.
• Rev Bras Anestesiol. 2008 Jul 1; 58 (4): 409-24.

Background And ObjectivesAugust Karl Gustav Bier introduced two important techniques in regional block: intravenous regional block and subarachnoid block, widely used nowadays. Since the first one celebrates its 100th anniversary and the second its 110th anniversary, it is only fair that we pay homage to this extraordinary physician who created them.ContentsThis report describes his family, school, academic course, and medical residency data, professional and university activities, personality, retirement, and death of A. K. G. Bier. It describes his countless contributions to Medicine and to Anesthesiology in particular. It discusses his research on intravenous regional block, many of them still valid nowadays or not completely explained. It mentions his initial studies and the controversies on his role in the creation of spinal block. It tells the experiences he had in both World Wars. It also mentions the great contributions of Bier to culture, sports, physical education and, especially, to ecology when he created the famous Sauen Forest. Finally, the well deserved honors he received in his home country and in other countries are mentioned.ConclusionsA. K. G. Bier created and introduced two notable and still current methods of regional blocks in Anesthesiology and was a great defender of the preservation of the environment. Therefore, since this year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of intravenous regional block, his biography deserves to be told as a tribute to this important German physician.

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