Effects of War on Medicine: Pushing the Frontier Forward

Abstract

Medicine is believed to revolutionize war. However, there is another layer to their relationship that is often overlooked. Contrary to popular belief, the evolution of war, too, propels medicine forward as combat advances and demands more effective treatment. This paper examines this unexplored angle in the context of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, in which the world faced physical and psychological battles that would leave a lasting impression on the battlefront and the home front. The paper first discusses anesthesia and antiseptic, focusing on their creators’ efforts and how World War I inspired them to develop into more effective versions of themselves. The paper then explores how World Wa r II and the coronavirus pandemic yielded improvement in both mental health and vaccination. The paper finally concludes that, considering the previous examples of medical development driven by conflict, war indeed pushes the medical frontier forward at a speed peacetime cannot achieve.