He taught at Wooster from 1889 to 1900. He was professor of clinical medicine at Western Reserve University from 1900 to 1911, and was then made professor of surgery. Crile was responsible for whole blood transfusion, in 1906, and he spurred the use of the new X-ray machines. During the
Spanish–American War, he was made a member of the Medical Reserve Corps and served in
Puerto Rico (1898). He was made an honorable
F.R.C.S. (London) in 1913. After America entered
World War I, he became a major in the medical O.T.C., and professional director (1917–18). He served with the
British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.) in France and was senior consultant in surgical research (1918–19). He was made lieutenant-colonel in June 1918, and colonel later in the year. He made important contributions to the study of
blood pressure and of shock in operations. Realizing that any strong emotion, such as fear before operation, produced shock, he attempted to allay dread by psychic suggestion, also endeavouring to prevent the subjective shock which affects the patient, even when under general
anaesthesia, by first anaesthetizing the operative region with
cocaine for several days, if necessary, before operating. Thus nerve communication between the affected part and the brain was already obstructed when the general anaesthetic was administered. For his work in shockless surgery he received a gold medal from the National Institute of Social Sciences in 1917. When he retired from the Medical School at age 65, Crile went into private practice and worked with those establishing the new
Cleveland Clinic. == Publications ==