Social Hygiene Research Articles

Disseminated Knowledge: The Advancement of Finnish Occupational Medicine and Work Psychology in a Transnational Context, c. 1945–1952

Summary This article focuses on the advancement of Finnish occupational medicine in the immediate post-war period, situating its development within a transnational context. Its objective is to offer insight into Finnish post-war industrial medicine and particularly developments in mental health care. The empirical methodology addresses a previously unexplored case study: the connections between the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) and Roffey Park Rehabilitation Centre, established in 1943 to address various cases of industrial neurosis. The case study sheds light on the ways in which FIOH adopted reformist ideas from transnational medical communities by aligning them with the needs of Finland’s war reparations industry. The article argues that FIOH’s experts advanced new theories of mental disorder for Finland’s newly modern industrial society, and that these initiatives should be situated within broader transnational endeavours in the mental hygiene movement.

Research Progress in the Medicine-Food Dual Use of Astragalus for Gastrointestinal Tumors.

Gastrointestinal tumors have a major impact on human life expectancy and quality of life and are a major cause of personal and social hygiene stress. Gastrointestinal tumors are the main cause of cancer-related death, and the main treatment methods are surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, they also cause great damage to the body and have a poor prognosis after surgery. Therefore, we urgently need safe and effective drugs to intervene in gastrointestinal tumors. In recent years, Traditional Chinese Medicine has been widely used in tumor treatment as a complementary and alternative therapy. Astragalus membranaceus is one of the main herbal medicines with tonic effect and one of the important components of many antitumor herbal compounds. Astragalus polysaccharides, saponins, and flavonoids are the main active components of Astragalus, all of which have antitumor effects. In this article, we studied the mechanism of action of Astragalus and its active ingredients in the intervention of gastrointestinal tumors in recent years and suggested a new approach for the study of Astragalus intervention in gastrointestinal tumors from the perspective of the homology of medicine and food.

The Perspective Of Psoriasis In Bangladesh: Revealing Epidemiological Insights, Disease Severity, And The Impact On Quality Of Life From A Tertiary Hospital In Chittagong

Background: Psoriasis, an autoimmune disorder affecting the skin and joints, poses a significant global health concern, particularly in Bangladesh. The impact extends beyond physical symptoms, affecting mental and emotional well-being. Limited research in Bangladesh hampers a comprehensive understanding of psoriasis epidemiology, clinical profiles, and quality of life implications. This study aimed to address these gaps, emphasizing their impact on an individual's quality of life. Methods and materials: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted from January 2022 to October 2023 at Central Skin & Social Hygiene Center, a single Specialized Health Center in Chittagong, Bangladesh recruited 156 clinically and histopathologically diagnosed psoriasis patients. Data included socio-demographics, clinical profiles, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores, and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores. Results: Among 156 enrolled patients, 147 completed the study, the mean age was 34.29 years, with ages ranging from 17 to 70 years. The male-to-female ratio of 1.77:1. The significant gender disparity in PASI scores (p = 0.035), indicates that hormones may play a role in the condition being studied. The majority (76.87%) of participants had mild psoriasis, and stress (30.61%) was a prevalent aggravating factor. Plaque psoriasis predominated (84.35%), followed by guttate (5.44%). A strong positive correlation (r = 0.7615, p < 0.001) between PASI and DLQI scores emphasized the impact of disease severity on quality of life. ANOVA results revealed a statistically significant difference in mean DLQI scores among the severity groups (F = 38.92, p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study contributes comprehensive insights into psoriasis in Bangladesh, emphasizing psychosocial dimensions, gender influences, and the strong correlation between disease severity and impaired quality of life. These findings inform tailored management approaches and support strategies for psoriasis patients in the region

Vasyl Yakovych Danylevskyi's lecture on the doctor, the patient, and the successes of medicine (1921): annotated translation

Unlike a mechanic, before a doctor there is a living person with all the manifestations of his rights and feelings, with a painful soul, with aggravated egoistic currents. The public easily forgives major failures and blunders of a quack but it will not forgive a doctor. The doctor's duty is to forget about his personal troubles for the sake of his weak patient and to instill in him cheerfulness, spiritual fortitude, and optimistic expectations. The patient must trust the doctor and respect him already in view of such self-denial for the sake of helping his neighbor. In functional nervous disorders, the doctor can limit himself to psychotherapy only. A family doctor disposes to greater respect and trust. A thorough knowledge of all medicine is absolutely necessary for any specialist doctor. A doctor is obliged to serve public health – to supervise schools, factories, markets, railways, etc. The successes of scientific medicine are not always familiar to the uncultured public due to their insufficient popularization by doctors. But over the past 50 years, scientific medicine and medical practice have made colossal progress: local and general anesthesia for operations has been developed, antisepsis and asepsis are carried out, organ transplant operations are performed, vaccinations against cholera and bubonic plague in humans have been introduced, a new science has been created – medical bacteriology, pathogenic microbes have been studied in many diseases, a successful fight against epidemic contagious diseases is carried out, diagnostic reactions to typhoid fever, syphilis, Pasteur institutes have been established; fluoroscopy is carried out; chemotherapy, salvarsan has been invented for the treatment of syphilis and relapsing fever; the therapeutic use of light rays and electrotherapy has begun; study of immunity, innate and acquired, anaphylaxis, study of immunity, innate and acquired, anaphylaxis, scientific psychiatry and psychotherapy is being developed, etc. Keywords: patient, social hygiene, superstition, scientific discoveries.

A Study on Existing Hygiene Practices of Rural Women of Assam, India

Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases. It can be defined as the practice of certain habits to maintain a good health both at the personal level (personal hygiene – cleanliness, physical exercise, proper rest, sleep, bathing, avoiding smoking, drinking alcohols, drugs etc.) and at the community level (social hygiene – proper disposal of waste) (WHO, Jan, 2016). About 75% of health facilities are concentrated in urban areas where only 27% of the total population lives. Contagious, infectious and waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, amoebiasis, typhoid, infectious hepatitis, worm infestations, measles, malaria, tuberculosis, whooping cough, respiratory infections, pneumonia, reproductive tract infections etc. dominate the morbidity pattern, especially in rural areas [1]. The study was carried out in the state of Assam (India) with 270 randomly selected rural women of 3 districts, viz., Tinsukia, Nagaon and Barpeta districts to find the existing practice of respondents on hygiene. More than half of the respondents (57.04 %) belonged to ‘moderate category’ of practice level on hygiene. Majority of the respondents belonged to ‘moderate category’ of practice level on hygiene, namely Barpeta (56.67%), Nagaon (53.33%) and Tinsukia (61.11%). It is also observed that the Nagaon district had highest percentage (24.44%) of respondents that belonged to ‘poor category’ of practice level on hygiene as compared to the other two districts.

Birth and household exposures are associated with changes to skin bacterial communities during infancy

Abstract Microbial exposures during infancy shape the development of the microbiome, the collection of microbes living in and on the body, which in turn directs immune system training. Newborns acquire a substantial quantity of microbes during birth and throughout infancy via exposure to microbes in the physical and social environment. Alterations to early life microbial environments may give rise to mismatches, where environmental, cultural, and behavioral changes that outpace the body’s adaptive responses can lead to adverse health outcomes, particularly those related to microbiome development and immune system regulation. This study explored the development of the skin microbiome among infants born in Chicago, USA. We collected skin swab microbiome samples from 22 mother-infant dyads during the first 48 hours of life and again at six weeks postpartum. Mothers provided information about social environments and hygiene behaviors that may impact infants’ microbial exposures. Analysis of 16S rRNA bacterial gene sequencing data revealed correlations between infant skin bacterial abundance shortly after birth and factors such as antibiotic exposure and receiving a bath in the hospital. The composition of the infant microbiome at six weeks of age was associated with interactions with caregivers and infant feeding practices. We also found shifts in maternal skin microbiomes that may reflect increased hygiene practices in the hospital. Our data suggest that factors related to the birth and household environment can impact the development of infant skin microbiomes and point to practices that may produce mismatches for the infant microbiome and immune system.

Role of Natural Products against the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 by Inhibition of ACE-2 Receptor: A Review.

A unique extreme acute breathing syndrome emerged in China and spread rapidly globally due to a newly diagnosed human coronavirus and declared a pandemic. COVID-19 was formally named by WHO, and the Global Committee on Taxonomy referred to it as extreme Acute respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Currently there is no efficient method to control the extent of SARS-CoV-2 other than social distancing and hygiene activities. This study aims to present a simple medicinal strategy for combating fatal viral diseases like COVID-19 with minimum effort and intervention. Different Ayurveda medicines (Curcuma longa, green tea, and Piper nigrum) inhibit virus entrance and pathogen transmission while also enhancing immunity. Piperine (1-piperoylpiperidine), as well as curcumin, combine to create an intermolecular complex (π- π) that improves curcumin bioavailability by inhibiting glucuronidation of curcumin in the liver. The receptor- binding domains of the S-protein and also the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor of the recipient organism are directly occupied by curcumin and catechin, respectively, thereby preventing viruses from entering the cell. As a result, the infection will be tolerated by the animal host.

Social hygiene in Germany in the early twentieth century: Science subject and methodology

Introduction. At the beginning of the 20th century, the theory of social hygiene was widely recognized worldwide. This science’s birthplace is Germany, and its founder is Alfred Grotjahn. In 1904, he presented a scientific concept of social hygiene, including a new hygienic science, field of study, subject, methodology, and scientific methods. Purpose. This study examines the scientific approaches to social hygiene in German academic literature from the early 1900s to the late 1920s. Materials and methods. This study gathered the necessary data by comprehensively reviewing key German manuals and periodic annual compilations. Results. A. Grotjahn viewed social hygiene as a science combining descriptive and normative approaches. By social hygiene, he meant the study of conditions affecting the social hygiene culture of individuals about place, time, and social environment, as well as their offspring. The descriptive component of the science aims to analyze these conditions, while the normative side investigates measures to improve hygienic culture among individuals and their offspring. He proposed to apply the probability theory as a scientific methodology and utilized the scientific methods of statistics, economics, history, sociology, and politics. Until the 1920s, German social hygienists followed Grotjahn’s theory in their manuals. In the mid-1920s, Ferdinand Huppe introduced the concept of constitutional hygiene theory in a multi-volume handbook of social hygiene. It was based on the methods of biology and the principles of racial hygiene. Conclusion. Grotjahn’s scientific concept of social hygiene underwent significant changes and evolution in the early twentieth century. These transformations, which were influenced by introducing new theories and applying different scientific methods, are crucial to understanding the development of social hygiene as a discipline.

N.A. Semashko on the management of preventive measures to preserve and improve the health of citizens (to the 150th anniversary of his birth)

On September 21, 2024, the medical community celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Nikolai Aleksandrovich Semashko, an outstanding manager of Russian healthcare, a scientist and teacher in the field of social hygiene. The results of his work in creating a new healthcare system in difficult conditions, one of the main principles of which is prevention, is highly appreciated by the World Health Organization and is known all over the world. To study the main directions of the prevention of various diseases over the first half of the twentieth century, there were analyzed the scientific works of N.A. Semashko, located in the electronic scientific libraries eLibrary, CyberLeninka, Scopus, Web of Science, the Central Scientific Medical Library, and the Russian State Library. N.A. Semashko considered prevention a priority in the activities of not only health professionals, but also other state and public organizations, as well as the citizens themselves in maintaining and strengthening their health. For its implementation, he recommended using various approaches, including improving the activities of sanitary organizations and medical institutions, developing dispensaries, the district principle of work, involving sanitary inspectors in joint activities with doctors and conducting health education of the population. Conclusions. Justified by N.A. Semashko in scientific works and the main directions of preventive medicine implemented in practice contributed to the elimination of epidemics, a decrease in the level of morbidity and mortality of the population, and therefore this experience should be taken into account and used in modern conditions.

Community health promotion and medical provision and impact on neonates (CHAMPION2) and support to rural India’s public education system and impact on numeracy and literacy scores (STRIPES2): an update to the study protocol (v 11) for a cluster randomised trial in Madhya Pradesh, India

BackgroundThis update outlines amendments to the CHAMPION2/STRIPES2 cluster randomised trial protocol primarily made due to the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown in India in 2020. These amendments were in line with national guidelines for health research during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe did not change the original trial design, eligibility, and outcomes. Amendments were introduced to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission and ensure safety and wellbeing of trial staff, participants, and other villagers. CHAMPION2 intervention: participatory learning and action (PLA) and fixed day service (FDS) meeting were revised to incorporate social distancing and hygiene precautions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PLA participation was limited to pregnant women and birthing partners. STRIPES2 intervention: before/after-school classes were halted for a period and then modified temporarily (reducing class sizes, and/or changing meeting places) with hygiene and safe distancing practices introduced. Data collection: The research team gathered as much information as possible from participants by telephone. If the participant had no telephone or could not be contacted by telephone, data were collected in person. COVID-19 precautions: trial teams were trained on COVID-19 precautions and used personal protective equipment whilst in the villages for trial-related activities.After restarting the trial between June and September 2020 in a phased manner, some trial activities were suspended again in all the trial villages from April to June 2021 due to the second wave of COVID-19 cases and lockdown imposed in Satna, Madhya Pradesh. Trial timelines were also revised, with outcomes measured later than originally planned.Trial registrationClinical Trial Registry of India CTRI/2019/05/019296. Registered 23 May 2019.https://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?EncHid=MzExOTg=&Enc=&userName=champion2.

Enhancing Next-Generation Workplaces by Developing Office Interior Architecture with Biophilic Elements

In today's world, with the impact of Covid-19 on businesses, hybrid work models have become necessity, and healthand safety concerns have increased. Biophilic design has played a significant role, adapting to new requirements suchas social distancing and hygiene in interior spaces. Biophilic design boosts employee motivation, performance, andenhances workplace ambiance through nature interaction. This study examines how biophilic design can be utilized toadapt to hybrid work models and enhance employee health and well-being. Innovative design proposals based onbiophilic design principles, including plant arrangements, natural lighting, ventilation optimization, and flexibleworkspaces, have been developed. These designs adopt a human-centered approach, considering ergonomics,productivity, and employee well-being. Consequently, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of theimportance of biophilic design for businesses and how interior workspaces can be designed. Additionally, the use ofsustainable materials and energy efficiency was emphasized in the design process.

The Afterlives of Mental Hygiene: Psychiatrizing Society in Socialist Yugoslavia

Summary This article explores the ‘afterlives’ of the mental hygiene movement in Yugoslavia, by considering two periods of time (the immediate post-WWII period and the early 1960s onwards). Despite the favourable ideological conditions, during which authorities sought to refashion healthcare in the direction of social prophylaxis in order to build socialism, practitioners in the immediate post-war era did not embrace socially focussed psychiatry, instead retreating to focus on the clinic and the brain. From the early 1960s, however, many Yugoslav clinicians embraced the social psychiatry movement. In their work, they articulated the notion that improving the mental health of individuals could benefit society, and that refashioning society could equally prevent mental illness. This ‘second afterlife’ of mental hygiene thus proved much more successful than the first. Yet rather than seeing their discipline as a tool to support the state and its aims, social psychiatrists critiqued the conditions of life within socialist Yugoslavia.

Secondhand savvy: examining the influence of prior experience on motivators and barriers in parents' choice of children's secondhand products

PurposeThe main objective of this paper is to examine the motivators and barriers parents face when acquiring secondhand products for their children while specifically investigating the potential influence of prior experience on the relationship between these motivators, barriers and parents' purchase intention toward secondhand clothing for their children.Design/methodology/approachTo address these objectives, a survey was conducted, yielding 265 valid responses. The sample comprised parents, with 96 having previous experience buying secondhand products and 169 without such experience. Multiple and binomial linear regression analyses were employed to examine the collected data.FindingsTwo motivators (economic motivation and environmental sustainability) and three barriers (social embarrassment, hygiene and risk) were tested, and our findings indicate that environmental sustainability and the perception of risk significantly influenced the intention to buy secondhand products for childrenswear. The results showed that for consumers with previous experience, the perception of risk is nonsignificant, suggesting that experience influences consumers' barriers to buying secondhand products.Originality/valueThis article is focused on the consumer behavior of parents who buy clothes for their children, and it is one of the few articles that proposes and tests a theoretical framework aiming to find empirical evidence about the motivators and barriers to consuming secondhand products in this market.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was specific to the childrenswear market, with characteristics that incentivize secondhand consumption, which might limit the findings.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that marketers should focus their efforts on highlighting sustainability claims when advertising their secondhand products to consumers and investing in incentivizing consumers to buy secondhand products for the first time, as it might reduce barriers to their consumption in the future.

A SHORT REVIEW ON AYURVEDIC APPROACH TOWARDS THE MAINTENANCE OF PERSONAL HYGIENE

Ayurveda not only a healing system but also it is a living style. So to protect the health and achieve the long life one should follow the some regiments describe in Ayurveda. That is daily regimens and seasonal regimens.During covid-19 whole world suffering from several illness that time only personal and social hygiene play major role. All these hygiene guidelines mentioned in Ayurveda. Personal guidelines mentioned under title of dincharya. In this review study will focus on Ayurvedic Approach towards the maintenance of personal hygiene.

Arkady Mihailovich Merkov (1899-1971): to the 125th Anniversary

The article takes up scientific, teaching and organizational activities of Arkady Mikhailovich Merkov, professor and doctor of medical sciences. A. M. Merkov is prominent specialist in the field of social hygiene and health care organization. He is author of about 200 works, including 23 monographs devoted to sanitary and demographic statistics and statistics of malignant neoplasms.

“The Worse Element”

Abstract This article offers an example of how the convergence of discourses on “white slavery” and social hygiene led to the disproportionate criminalization, displacement, and detention of Black sex workers by authorities in early twentieth-century San Diego. The city’s large military presence, proximity to the US-Mexico border, and interracial sociality (between white, immigrant, and nonwhite communities) led to the regulation of its interracial sex tourism industry. As the city prepared for its first major military project, the Panama-California Exposition of 1915, public health officials demolished tenement housing for plumbing violations and followed with the compulsory quarantining of sex workers, couched in concerns about venereal disease. The sexual policing of Black sex workers by local, state, and military authorities was underpinned by discourses that imagined Black women as risks to public health and white women’s virtue in the US-Mexico border town.

Higher Education in Uzbekistan: Transition to Digital Learning

The author analyzes stages of digitalization and the emergence of new digital technologies, which represent a huge educational potential. The possibilities of digital technologies in the educational process of the university are also considered. The economic development in Uzbekistan presupposes an active position of the educational community in analyzing and developing new proposals in the context of digitalization of higher professional education. The situation is such that it is simply impossible for us not to use digital in order to keep up with further processes of informatization and digitalization in education. The article discusses the benefits and some challenging aspects that have impacted Uzbek Universities and Technical Institutes (HEIs of Uzbekistan) as they continue to educate students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This reflects the impact of unprecedented COVID-19 on the educational services of higher education institutions. There was suddenly an expectation that universities would adhere to COVID-19 prevention measures, including social distancing and hygiene. As a result, many universities have switched to remote transfer of knowledge and courses. This article encourages university leaders to embrace online teaching methods and digital learning systems that support universities to continue educational processes in the post-COVID-19 era. The author conclude that the digitalization of education is changing the content of the courses taught, as well as the flow of information, this is not only presentations or videos, but these are also direct connections to information networks, databases, forums. The article summarizes, demonstrating key implications for university presidents and identifying future research directions for academia.

Analysis of Social Demography, Behavioral Hygiene, Breast Milk, And Nutritional Status in Children with Diarrhea in Surabaya City

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of social demographics, personal hygiene, breastfeeding, and nutritional status on the incidence of diarrhea among children. Understanding these factors is crucial for assessing and improving the quality of health services, particularly in reducing child mortality rates associated with diarrhea. Methods: The research employed an explanatory survey research design, aimed at exploring new insights, identifying relationships between phenomena, and understanding the reasons behind certain events. Approval for data collection was obtained from the Candel Surabaya's ethics committee. Data were gathered from the Wonokromo sub-district in Surabaya in June 2023, with a sample size ranging from 300 to 400, selected through purposive sampling. Questionnaires were distributed to mothers attending Posyandu in Wonokromo village, and data were analyzed univariately using logistic regression. Results and Discussion: Statistical analysis revealed several significant findings. Ethnicity and the number of children were found to have no significant effect on the incidence of diarrhea (p-value = 0.322 and p-value = 0.930, respectively). However, factors such as mother's age (p-value = 0.021), education (p-value = 0.000), employment (p-value = 0.000), income (p-value = 0.000), child's age (p-value = 0.000), gender (p-value = 0.019), personal hygiene (p-value = 0.000), breastfeeding (p-value = 0.000), and nutritional status (p-value = 0.000) were significantly associated with the incidence of diarrhea. These results suggest that social demographics and personal hygiene, breastfeeding, and nutritional status play significant roles in influencing diarrhea occurrence among children. Implications of the Research: The findings of this study carry important implications for public health interventions. It underscores the necessity of promoting healthy lifestyle practices among parents, particularly mothers, to mitigate the incidence of diarrhea in children. Improving education, employment opportunities, income levels, and access to healthcare services can contribute to better health outcomes for children. Additionally, emphasizing the importance of personal hygiene, breastfeeding, and maintaining adequate nutritional status can significantly reduce the risk of diarrhea. Originality/Value: This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by highlighting the specific factors that influence the incidence of diarrhea among children in a particular setting. By elucidating the significance of social demographics and various health-related practices, this study provides valuable insights for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and community stakeholders to develop targeted interventions aimed at reducing child morbidity and mortality associated with diarrhea.

Experience in managing the process of continuing medical education of medical workers in public health and health care

Introduction. The problem of continuous professional development of medical specialists with higher and secondary medical education is especially relevant at the present stage, when medical knowledge, technologies, and drugs are being improved every day. 
 Purpose. Analysis of the forms of conducting cycles of continuous medical education in the field of health care management and public health at the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation for the development of the most popular and perfect form of its implementation.
 Materials and methods. An analysis of the main directions of the mnagement of the process of continuous medical education of medical workers in general and in public health and health care in the Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education of the Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. 
 Results. Since 1977 a continuous medical education was started in the USSR. A course for advanced training of doctors in social hygiene was opened at the Department of Social Hygiene and Health Organization of the 2nd Medical Institute. Within the framework of the specialty “Organization of Health Care and Public Health”, the department conducted cycles of professional retraining (PP-504 hours), advanced training: 144 hours (PC-144), 72 hours and 36 hours. Continuing medical education is aimed at obtaining the competencies necessary to perform a new type of professional activity. The plans for further improvement of continuing medical education by the department provide for the renewal of work programs, the creation of distance and new relevant cycles.
 Limitations of the study. An analysis of professional retraining cycles of students of various durations for the acquisition of new qualifications, qualitative expansion of the field of knowledge, skills and abilities in the period 2017–2022 was carried out. 
 Conclusion. The presented data indicate the expediency of managing advanced training within the framework of the specialty “Organization of Health Care and Public Health” using short cycles of advanced training of full-time and distant forms of training of students.

G.G. Smith: A Urologist on the Western Front

Objectives World War I (WWI) left a devastating impact on Europe. Urologist George Gilbert (GG) Smith served with a Harvard-associated group of surgeons and nurses stationed at the western front from 1915-1916. First-hand accounts and medical observations from the front are rare, so Smith’s wartime diary is a valuable source to gain further insight into what was once termed the ‘War to End All Wars’. Our objective was to study Smith’s diaries from WWI to better understand the personal and professional experiences and sacrifices of those who fought and served Methods The GG Smith diaries were obtained courtesy of the Smith family. Archives were consulted from the American Urological Association (AUA) William P. Didusch library (Linthicum, MD), Center for the History of Medicine at Countway Library (Cambridge, MA), the British Red Cross, the American Hospital of Paris, and cited secondary sources. Results Smith graduated from Harvard medical school in 1908 after training at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). He joined the growing urology faculty at Harvard under the leadership of Hugh Cabot. Following the start of WWI and before the United States’ formal involvement in the war, the Harvard Surgical Unit (HSU) was one of a number of ‘neutral’ medical corps from America’s elite hospitals, composed of individual doctors and nurses who were deployed wherever they were needed for a 3-month tour of duty. As a member of the HSU, Smith was stationed by the warfront, braving air attacks and bombs to care for hundreds of wounded, combatting infections, trauma, and fractious personalities.. The skill in leadership he developed served him well as President of the AUA from 1935-1936, Chair of Urology at MGH from 1938-1945, and President of the Massachusetts Society of Social Hygiene from 1937-1945 Conclusions Smith’s war time diary is testimony to the great philanthropic efforts of America’s institutions during WWI, to the remarkable progress in medical and surgical care that was motivated by the devastation of that war, and to the diversity of people whose pragmatic heroism contributed to the Allied victory.