War is terrible, but it has forced medicine to advance. Doctors on the battlefield invented new life-saving methods out of necessity. These innovations, from surgery to trauma care, now help save lives everywhere, even in times of peace.

War represents humanity at its most destructive, a time of chaos where life is fragile. In contrast, medicine is dedicated to preserving life. Yet, these two opposites have a long and connected history. The extreme environment of the battlefield has often been a powerful, if brutal, teacher for doctors and surgeons. Faced with devastating injuries, medical professionals in wartime are forced to innovate quickly. They have developed groundbreaking surgical techniques, new ways to treat shock and infection, and better methods for blood transfusions. These lessons, learned in the harshest conditions imaginable, do not stay on the battlefield. They return home, becoming standard practice in hospitals and saving countless lives long after the fighting has stopped.

Original Author: Joseph Varon | Source: Brownstone Institute