WAR SURGERY UNDER FRONT-LINE CONDITIONS

Blood Transfusions under War Conditions

T HE use of human blood in the practice of medicine dates back many centuries. Successful blood transfusions probably were first performed in the middle of the seventeenth century. In some instances the blood of animals was employed, but such a procedure frequently resulted in serious reactions; transfusions of human blood were more successful. Even these were sub. ject to two serious drawbacks...

War Surgery from Firing Line to Base

A Two-Front War

It seems I am fighting a two-front war, besieged by three superb scholars. Professors Robert Delahunty and John Yoo,1 and Professor Michael Ramsey2 have authored bracing and challenging responses to Unleashing the Dogs of War (Unleashing).3 Though I have learned from these essays, their authors might say that I have not learned enough because I continue to adhere to the categorical theory’s cla...

Hand (and orthopaedic) surgery in primitive war conditions

Old Chinese and Egyptian physicians used some chemical methods for the treatment of wounds and injuries. Although the beneficial effect of passing surgical instruments through flame was well known to ancient civilizations, the heat as a preservative method in medical industry, was first introduced in 1809 in France. Joseph Lister (1827–1912) believed that it was microbes carried in the air that...

Mental health under war conditions during the 1991-1995 war in the former Yugoslavia.

If this war were a "peace time disaster" it is estimated that more than one million people would be in need of assistance due to mental health issues. The estimated helping capacity, however, can cover only a small proportion of the need. This imbalance may create a severe threat to the mental health of the war-torn population in a medium- and long-term perspective. Complications related to war...