News from Mayo Clinic Libraries

New book about Mayo researcher Dr. Earl H. Wood

Mayo Clinic Press recently published a new book about the development of the G-suit during World War II. This book is available from checkout from Mayo Libraries and as an e-book via Libby. 

Life at High G-Force: The Quest of Mayo Clinic Researcher Dr. Earl H. Wood

Earl H. Wood, M.D., Ph.D., was one of Mayo Clinic’s most prominent researchers, best known for his ground-breaking work on the G-suit during World War II. In 1942, Earl was recruited by the Mayo Clinic to research gravitational physiology on their human centrifuge. Using themselves as experimental subjects, he and fellow scientists investigated the effects of acceleration and the cause of gravitational loss of consciousness. The result was a vastly improved G-suit, which allowed Allied pilots to outmaneuver Japanese and German planes and win World War II air battles.

Following the war, Earl continued his research, pioneering cardiac catheterization for patients with heart disease. The oximeter, which he developed to detect pulse, was enhanced to measure blood oxygen saturation levels; it is now used in medical settings worldwide. In the 1970s, Earl and his team developed computer-based X-ray techniques, paving the way for modern CAT and MRI scanners.

Dr. Wood’s innovations put him at the forefront of aviation and medical science in the 20th century and highlight one of the significant contributions made by Mayo Clinic to the Allied victory in World War II.