Norman Bethune and Edward Archibald: sung and unsung heroes

Abstract

Edward Archibald was a pioneer, master thoracic surgeon. He laid the foundation for surgical research in Canada and made fundamental contributions to the training and certification of surgeons. He did it all without raising his voice and within the confines of organized medicine. He became an unsung hero. Norman Bethune, with a flair for publicity, used extraordinary measures and delivered them heroically with talent and total dedication, ignoring conventional approaches. He became a truly sung hero.