Medicine and World War II

A Medical Success.

For medical science World War II was a spur to startling advances. Newly discovered antibiotics such as penicillin and other drugs were rapidly made available by government sponsorship for research, manufacture, and distribution. The war demonstrated the effectiveness of preventive psychiatry. Men who were kept near the front lines and treated could often return to active duty. New techniques for treating and storing blood plasma resulted in the saving of lives. Many of these discoveries were later adapted for peacetime usage.

Medical Education.

Medical education in the United States accelerated during the war years. The training of wartime doctors consisted of three intense years of twelve months each instead of the usual four years of nine months each. U.S. medical schools geared up to produce physicians needed for the war effort more quickly, but this system was not adopted by any other of the...

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