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Norman Bethune 白求恩 | |
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| Born | March 4, 1890 Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | November 12, 1939 Tang County, Hebei, Republic of China |
| Cause of death | Blood poisoning |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Political party | Communist Party of Canada |
Henry Norman Bethune (March 4, 1890 – November 12, 1939) was a Canadian thoracic surgeon, early advocate of socialized medicine, and member of the Communist Party of Canada. A veteran of the First World War, he held militarism and capitalism to be inextricably linked.[1]
Bethune came to international prominence first for his service as a frontline trauma surgeon supporting the Republican government during the Spanish Civil War, and later supporting the Communist Party of China's (CPC) Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Bethune helped bring modern medicine to rural China, treating both sick villagers and wounded soldiers.[2]
Bethune was responsible for developing a mobile blood-transfusion service for frontline operations in the Spanish Civil War. Ironically, he died of blood poisoning after accidentally cutting his finger while operating on wounded Chinese soldiers.
Bethune's service to the CPC earned him the respect of Mao Zedong, who wrote a eulogy dedicated to Bethune when he died in 1939. He is honored in the People's Republic of China to this day, and the highest medical honour in China is named after him.[3]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Norman Bethune (2009-02-14). "Wounds" The Marxist-Leninist. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ↑ Encyclopedia of World Biography on Henry Norman Bethune
- ↑ "Norman Bethune: forgotten in Canada but more relevant than ever" (2020-11-12). People's Voice. Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2023-02-05.