Humanities

Books Bethune: consummate humanitarian and man of action

Bethune is best known, however, for Norman Bethune his internationalism and humanitarian- Adrienne Clarkson ism, particularly for his voluntary serv- Penguin Canada, Extraordinary Canadians Series; 2009. 204 pp $26.00 ice, from 1938 to his death in 1939, in Mao Zedong’s Eighth Route Army in their struggle during the Second Sino- uthor, journalist and former Japanese War. In addition to performing governor general Adrienne battlefield surgical operations, he estab- AClarkson brings a fresh perspec- lished training for physicians, nurses and tive to this compelling and accessible others. Mao upheld his humanitarian and introduction to Dr. Norman Bethune social ideals, and wrote of them in his es- (1890–1939), who is arguably the say In Memory of Norman Bethune, as world’s most famous surgeon, known an example for all of China. And indeed, for his humanitarian internationalism by he became known to hundreds of mil- hundreds of millions in China. lions in that country. Bethune’s fascinating story is well Yet Bethune’s communist connec- told in this slender volume. Clarkson tions have long kept him from recogni- shows us Bethune as a young man, tion among the pantheon of influential moving from the logging camps of Canadians, so it’s gratifying to see him Northern Ontario to his training in included in this new series of biographies

Toronto and his practise in Detroit, Penguin Canada from Penguin. The series weaves to- Michigan, and Montréal, Quebec. She gether the ideas that matter in Canada to- describes the frustrating intensity that ining Bethune’s life and ideas from to- day, highlighting the extraordinary lives led him to marry and divorce the same day’s perspective, so that we know him that have moulded our country. woman twice, and his never smooth in- as a man who was decades ahead of his Bethune changed the world with his teractions with his colleagues. Many of time, a man who anticipated the neces- idea that medical and surgical care must his contradictions are on display: the sary changes in health care that occurred be accessible to those most in need. Montréal socialist willingly courting the well after his lifetime. Bethune had little Canada has done well for itself by put- Montréal socialites, promoting free of the patience required to see his ethical ting these ideas into practice within our medical care while touting his own line insights into how medicine should work borders, but we have far to go in putting of surgical instruments. All this con- actually put into practice. Rather, he had these ideas into practice across the globe. tributes to our understanding of the man, to act, and act quickly, quickly enough Perhaps Canada will play a leading role the doctor and the Canadian. that even other surgeons soon tired of in global health and international surgery Clarkson also makes innumerable working with him. Only the interna- worthy of Bethune’s legacy. Clarkson connections that secure Bethune’s ideas tional stage was big enough for Bethune. shows us clearly who he was, why he within Canada’s social fabric. Bethune Blood–banking is one example of his mattered, how he contributed to our was a man of action, so when he wrote big–picture medical innovation. North Canada of today and why his ideas still “Let us redefine medical ethics, not as a America’s first blood bank was estab- matter as we mutually invent our future. code of professional etiquette between lished at Cook County Hospital in doctors but as a code of fundamental Chicago, Illinois, one year after Bethune Andrew William Howard MD morality and justice between medicine pioneered blood banking as a supplement Director and the people” he also promptly set to the then-common direct transfusion Office of International Surgery about to reform health care in Montréal technique. Bethune’s advances were University of Toronto as a publicly funded good. His propos- made in a mobile transfusion unit that he Toronto, Ont. als were met by what Clarkson charac- founded to support the Spanish resistance terizes as “resounding indifference to fascism. He had little training or expe- Dr. Howard hosts an annual international from the medical profession, the politi- rience in transfusion medicine and was surgical meeting named in Norman cal class, and the public; anything that regularly coping with bombing raids and Bethune’s honour. While attendees are not smacked of publicly funded health care humanitarian needs during his time in the Bethune scholars, they are interested in carried with it the subtext of Russian Spanish Civil War (1936–7). This tur- surgery for human development and Communism and was not looked upon moil created sufficient motivation and believe that Bethune’s ideals about kindly.” challenge to keep him on this task that ul- humanitarianism and internationalism

DOI:10.1503/cmaj.090608 Clarkson does us the favour of exam- timately saved hundreds of lives. strike a chord with many doctors.

1334 CMAJ • JUNE 23, 2009 • 180(13) © 2009 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors