Norman Bethune: Difference between revisions
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'''Norman Bethune''' (1890-1939) was born on March 30, 1890, in Gravenhurst, |
'''Norman Bethune''' (1890-1939) was born on March 30, 1890, in Gravenhurst, |
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[[Ontario]], [[Canada]]. A surgeon, he travelled to Spain (1936-1937) and China (1938-1939) to perform battle field surgical operations on war casualties. |
[[Ontario]], [[Canada]]. A surgeon, he travelled to Spain (1936-1937) and China (1938-1939) to perform battle field surgical operations on war casualties. |
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Revision as of 06:09, 7 October 2002
Norman Bethune (1890-1939) was born on March 30, 1890, in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. A surgeon, he travelled to Spain (1936-1937) and China (1938-1939) to perform battle field surgical operations on war casualties.
Bethune's work in Spain in developing mobile medical units were the model for the later development of MASH units. He was also a pioneer in dealing with the problems of delivering blood transfusions in a battlefield context.
He met his tragic death while saving the lives of others; he died on November 12, 1939 of inflammation from a cut wound he received during a surgery, whilst with the CCP's legendaryEighth Route Army in midst of the Chinese Civil War.
Virtually unknown in his homeland during his lifetime, Doctor Bethune was finally received internation recognition as Chairman Mao Zedong of the People's Republic of China published his book, titled In Memory of Norman Bethune (original Chinese title : 紀念白求恩), which documented the final months of the doctor's life in China. Mao went ahead and made the book required reading for the entire Chinese population. Mao wrote in the book's preface : As a selfless internationalist, Doctor Bethune served as a role model for every human being.
What inspired Doctor Bethune to place himself in such dangerous and harsh conditions, being thousands of miles from home and practically working without pay? The CCP's propaganda machine made a persistent assertion that Bethune was an passionate member of the Communist Party of Canada with a devotion to the Chinese Socialist Movement (in China, only a comrade could qualify as a good man). The West, however, has been highly skeptical to the notion, and generally believes the doctor's motivation was exclusively based on humanitarian considerations.