Professionals were also important to the war effort at home. The “regular contacts with officers of other medical services” allowed developments to be exchanged. … treatment of large numbers of wounded and the stimulus of war necessities presented the opportunity for close observations and investigations on a large scale, such as were not readily possible in civil life. As the noted surgeon Victor Hurley observed in 1950: John Monash received a Doctor of Engineering in 1920 for his wartime developments in the coordinated offensive. World War I: the birth of plastic surgery and modern anaesthesiaĮngineers gained experience in logistics and the management of people. Psychiatrists contended with the new condition of shell shock. Advances in plastic surgery – led by New Zealand-born but London-based Harold Gillies and assisted by Australian surgeons – helped those with devastating facial injuries. The use of saline fluid to treat shock dramatically improved the survival rate of the wounded. The recently released book The First World War, the Universities and the Professions in Australia, 1914–1939, edited by the authors, outlines how the war sped up these developments and widened the range of workers, such as physiotherapists, who saw themselves as part of a professional group.ĭuring the war, surgeons and dentists developed new techniques, such as traction splints and blood transfusions. This ensured only qualified doctors could provide medical treatment, only qualified teachers taught in schools, and so on. It also led to the development of universities as places for training and professional qualification, as well as important research.īefore the war, concern about efficient use of public money and a desire to protect the public led governments to pass legislation to control professional practice. Combined with the status of professionals in the public service, it profoundly reshaped Australia. This is well acknowledged.īut it was also a technical war, which spurred advances in knowledge and expertise. The first world war was significant to the formation of Australian national identity and defining national characteristics, such as making do and mateship. University of Tasmania provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU. University of Melbourne provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU. The research for this article was produced with the support of the Australian Research Council grant, DP160101109: Knowledge, War, Peace, and Nation, of which James Waghorne and Kate Darian-Smith are Chief investigators, along with Tamson Pietsch, Julia Horne, and Stephen Garton. Kate Darian-Smith receives funding from the Australian Research Council. James Waghorne receives funding from the Australian Research Council to support this work. Academic Historian, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of MelbourneĮxecutive Dean and Pro Vice-Chancellor, College of Arts, Law and Education, University of Tasmania
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |