Doctor Peter Gilbert, a retired local GP and a former senior officer in the Army Reserve, gave a fascinating talk to the Academic Scholars in the latest Zetountes Lecture. Drawing on his experiences in both arenas and his service in managing the British Army’s Medical Unit in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, Dr Gilbert’s presentation highlighted how the miseries of war can inspire progress in medical understanding and practice which benefits civilians and the NHS. Thus the Combat Applied Tourniquet, pioneered in Afghanistan, is now a standard piece of kit in UK ambulances.
Dr Gilbert, who is now a Deputy Lieutenant for Kent, showed how the trenches of World War One and injuries to fighter pilots in World War Two prompted significant advances in orthopaedic surgery, insights into emerging concepts of psychological trauma, accelerated antibiotic care and facial reconstruction.
This set the landscape for further learning in the conflicts first in Iraq and then in Helmand Province where the standard mortality rate fell below 1.0. War is where politics has failed, but it is a cauldron where extraordinary medical progress was forged.
The Scholars greatly enjoyed these insights and one of our Sixth Form Scholars, who is appropriately applying to read medicine, offered a fulsome vote of thanks in appreciation of Dr Gilbert’s talk.
Related Posts
The annual Children in Need fancy dress day saw the Sixth Former Centre full of weird and wonderful characters with both staff and pupils participating. Dominating the scene was a magnificent giant pterodactyl with the pupil valiantly battling to manoeuvre through school corridors and the cobbles of Rochester. A spirited contingent of cowboys and [...]
The King's School rowing team had a strong start to the long-distance racing season at the Kingston Small Boats Head on the Thames this weekend, competing among 491 entries over two divisions. This was the squad's first major long-distance event of the year, covering a challenging 5500m course. The crews showed great composure and [...]
King's hosted its first "Swap, Don’t Shop" event. Pupils and parents took part in the simple, fun, and eco-friendly way to refresh their wardrobes without feeding the fast-fashion cycle. We may have seen the start of KSR Vinted! The message is hopefully even clearer: Fast fashion is one of the world’s biggest polluters. The industry [...]
