Norman Bethune

Dr. Henry Norman Bethune (March 3, 1890 – November 12, 1939) was a Canadian physician, medical innovator, and humanitarian. In Chinese he is known as ??? (Bái Qiú?n).

Related Topics:
March 3 - 1890 - November 12 - 1939 - Canadian - Physician - Humanitarian - Chinese

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dr. Bethune was born in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. A thoracic surgeon, he travelled to Spain (1936-1937) and China (1938-1939) to perform battlefield surgical operations on war casualties.

Related Topics:
Gravenhurst, Ontario - Surgeon - Spain - 1936 - 1937 - China - 1938 - 1939 - Battlefield surgical operations

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bethune's work in Spain in developing mobile medical units was the model for the later development of Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) units. The need to provide blood transfusions in a battlefield context led him to develop the first practical method for transporting blood.

Related Topics:
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital - Blood transfusion

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bethune died on November 12, 1939, of blood poisoning from a cut he received while performing surgery, while with the Communist Party of China's Eighth Route Army in the midst of the second Sino-Japanese War.

Related Topics:
November 12 - Blood poisoning - Communist Party of China - Eighth Route Army - Second Sino-Japanese War

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Virtually unknown in his homeland during his lifetime, Doctor Bethune finally received international recognition as Chairman Mao Zedong of the People's Republic of China published his essay entitled In Memory of Norman Bethune (original Chinese title : ?????), which documented the final months of the doctor's life in China. Mao went ahead and made the essay 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.

Related Topics:
Mao Zedong - People's Republic of China

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 CPC asserts that Bethune, a member of the Communist Party of Canada since 1935, acted out of devotion to the Chinese socialist movement. Some in the West, however, have been highly skeptical to the notion and generally believe the doctor's motivation was exclusively based on humanitarian considerations. But the fact remains that Bethune, a member of the Communist Party of Canada, went to Spain soon after joining the party to help in the struggle against fascism, and then went to China to help the Communists there against Japanese imperialism. It is also noted in his most recent biography, The Politics of Passion by Larry Hannant, that he specifically refused to work under the better-off Chiang Kai Shek's Nationalist government and insisted on helping the Chinese Communists instead. He is also the only Westerner to have a statue in Communist China and he also has a hospital named in his honour.

Related Topics:
Communist Party of Canada - 1935 - Socialist - The West - Fascism - Imperialism - Chiang Kai Shek

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After graduating from the University of Toronto as a doctor he moved to Montreal where he was associated with McGill University and taught thoracic surgery. Bethune was an early proponent of universal health care, the success of which he observed during a visit to the Soviet Union. As a doctor in Montréal, Bethune frequently sought out the poor and gave them free medical care.

Related Topics:
University of Toronto - McGill University - Universal health care - Soviet Union - Montréal

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bethune College at York University, and Dr. Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute (a secondary school) in Scarborough, Ontario, were named after Dr. Bethune. Heroic statues of Bethune have been erected throughout China.

Related Topics:
York University - Scarborough, Ontario

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Doctor Bethune also invented several surgical instruments that still bear his name.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Donald Sutherland played Bethune in two biographical films: Bethune (1977), made for television on a low budget, and Bethune: The Making of a Hero (1990). The latter was a co-production of Telefilm Canada, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, FR3 TV France and China Film Co-production.

Related Topics:
Donald Sutherland - Biographical - 1977 - 1990 - Telefilm Canada - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In March 1990, to commemorate the centenary of his birth, Canada and China each issued two postage stamps of the same design in his honour.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1998 he was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.

Related Topics:
1998 - Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the CBC's The Greatest Canadian program in 2004, he was voted the 26th Greatest Canadian by viewers.

Related Topics:
The Greatest Canadian - 2004

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He attended Owen Sound Collegiate in Owen Sound Ontario, now known as Owen Sound Collegiate And Vocational Institute.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He is buried in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, where his tomb along with that of Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis lie next to great memorials and statues to their honour.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~