Norman Bethune
Norman Bethune | |||||||
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Bethune in 1916 | |||||||
| Born | Henry Norman Bethune March 4, 1890 Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada | ||||||
| Died | November 12, 1939 (aged 49) | ||||||
| Education | University of Toronto | ||||||
| Occupation(s) | Physician, surgeon | ||||||
| Employer(s) | Royal Victoria Hospital, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal | ||||||
| Known for | Developing mobile medical units, surgical instruments and a method for transporting blood for transfusions | ||||||
| Political party | Communist Party of Canada | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Chinese | 白求恩 | ||||||
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| Transcription of full name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 亨利·諾爾曼·白求恩 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 亨利·诺尔曼·白求恩 | ||||||
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Henry Norman Bethune (/ˈbɛθ.juːn/; March 4, 1890 – November 12, 1939; Chinese: 白求恩) was a Canadian thoracic surgeon, early advocate of socialized medicine, and member of the Communist Party of Canada. 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 Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Bethune helped bring modern medicine to rural China, treating both sick villagers and wounded soldiers.
Bethune was responsible for developing a mobile blood-transfusion service for frontline operations in the Spanish Civil War. He later died of blood poisoning after accidentally cutting his finger while operating on wounded Chinese soldiers.
Bethune's service to the CCP earned him the respect of Mao Zedong, who wrote a eulogy dedicated to Bethune when he died in 1939. His name is honored in China to this day.