Robert Andrew Hingson (April 13, 1913 – October 9, 1996) was an American physician who served as the first professor of anesthesiology at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine.
[3] Known as a “tinkerer” among friends, Hingson developed several important medical devices such as the Western Reserve Anesthesia Machine, Oxygen Inhalator, and Resuscitator.
[4] With the help of colleague Waldo B. Edwards, he also developed the continuous caudal anesthesia epidural administration to alleviate the pain of childbirth.
Finding no entry wound, Hingson deduced that a high-pressure oil hose aboard the seaman’s vessel had developed a minute leak.
A fortuitous accident, Hingson not only healed the seaman but began research on a high-pressure injection system for medical use.
With a team of doctors aboard a large plane, they visited Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East performing operations, administering vaccinations, and delivering medical supplies.
Over time, the organization’s mission focused specifically on providing vaccinations and other medical assistance to impoverished regions.
On October 9, 1996, he died at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lake City, Florida, due to complications of polymyositis.