Originally published on February 28, 2022 (Episode 252)
Introduction
From the opening weeks of the war that began in August 1914, medicine was overwhelmed—not just by the sheer number of casualties, but by the new kinds of trauma that modern weapons inflicted on human bodies. The First World War forced medical practice into a state of radical transformation. Ideas developed in the laboratory before 1914 were suddenly and rapidly tested on an unprecedented scale. New techniques were devised, refined, and deployed in months rather than decades. By 1919, medicine looked utterly different than it had just five years earlier.
Thomas Helling, Professor of Surgery and head of the Division of General Surgery at the University of Mississippi, explores this transformation in his book The Great War and the Birth of Modern Medicine (Pegasus, 2022). With decades of experience in military medicine, trauma, and critical care, Helling shows how the crucible of war reshaped the way we understand and practice medicine.
About the Guest
Thomas Helling is Professor of Surgery and head of the Division of General Surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. In addition to his clinical work, he is a historian of surgery and medicine, and the author of four manuscripts on surgical history.
For Further Investigation
Thomas Helling, The Great War and the Birth of Modern Medicine (Pegasus, 2022)
Timothy J. Jorgensen, “Marie Curie and her X-ray vehicles’ contribution to World War I battlefield medicine,” The Conversation (2018)
Online exhibit: Harvey Cushing: A Journey Through His Life (Yale Medical Historical Library)
💬 Listen & Discuss
How did the trauma of World War I shape the medicine we know today? Share your reflections in the comments and pass the episode along to a friend interested in the intersection of war and healing.
