Crile, Cushing & the Great War

As we approach the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Great War, history demands us to reexamine what American historian and diplomat, George Kennan, called the grand seminal catastrophe of the 20th century. One hundred years ago, two great Clevelanders – Dr. George Crile, one of the founders of the Cleveland Clinic, and Dr. Harvey Cushing, the father of modern neurosurgery - observed WWI firsthand and left valuable notes and insights. Besides documenting the diagnoses and procedures they performed, they commented on the same psychological tolls we recognize today in participants of modern war. The problem has always been that too few paid any attention to the psychological wounds we now recognize as PTSD.
Mark Stillman, M.D. will explore Crile and Cushing’s insights as he highlights some of the causes of this seminal event.
Part of our "History Considered" Series.