The authors of the work present the origin and the development of epidural anaesthesia and epidural analgesia in detail, the possibilities of its wide utilization in medical practice,as well as their personal contribution to the following development of these techniques of anaesthesia and analgesia.

        Key words: spinal anaesthesia – epidural anaesthesia – epidural space – subarachnoidal anaesthesia – epidural analgesia – prolonged epidural analgesia – selective epidural analgesia