NEUROSURGERY (AND THE NEUROSURGEON) IN WORLD WAR II

Abstract

Most physicians who were actively engaged in the medicomilitary activities of World War II are one in their desire to dismiss the whole episode from their minds and fix their attention on new horizons. The physicians who were not active participants in those activities must be weary with hearing about them, for the progress of military medicine has been widely publicized. I therefore approach my subject, neurosurgery (and the neurosurgeon) in World War II, with some degree of trepidation. On the other hand, I think it will be profitable for all neurosurgeons, whether or not they participated actively in the medicomilitary phases of the war, to consider soberly and carefully the progress of this specialty during the four years of hostilities and in the period of so-called peace which came to pass when fighting ceased, as well as to reflect on the role of the civilian neurosurgeon in the Army