Hi I am a medical student and today in clinic my preceptor told me the modern field of Orthopedics is actually rooted in German experiments during the Holocaust. Is there any truth to this? Also I have heard of the Japanese Unit 731, what did they discover. Were there any/ any other medical advancements made during WWII that are morally repulsive/would not make it past an ethics board today?
Thank you /u/Dubstripsquads for tagging.
I'm indeed happy to answer any follow-up question.
Also, rather quickly:
the modern field of Orthopedics is actually rooted in German experiments during the Holocaust.
While I'm not terribly familiar with the history of Orthopedics, I call bullshit on that one. The idea that the Nazis made huge medical strives with regards to the locomotor system of humans during their experiments is wrong in so far as most of their experiments regarding skeletons etc. were to determine how they could identify Jews rather than anything we today would see as scientific. Furthermore Orthopedics is a bit older than the Nazis with associations and training for Orthopedics popping up around 1900 at least in Germany.
A bit off point but ask a thoracic surgeon about Dwight Harkin, MD, and open heart surgery.
I heard this at Mt Auburn Hospital in Cambridge years ago. The story goes that Harkin developed his techniques while treating very fresh chest wounds from shrapnel sustained by air crews at high altitudes and low temperatures.
I also heard that the major developments in modern orthopedic surgery date from WW I, not WW II.