Book Description

In the intense fighting that marked World War I in Europe, an Armenian-American volunteer dentist quickly became known for his skill in treating the disfiguring facial injuries suffered by large numbers of British soldiers. Working originally under primitive conditions in makeshift hospitals near the battlefields of France, Varaztad H. Kazanjian exhibited a humane concern combined with innovative medical procedures that established his reputation and marked his subsequent career as a founder of the modern practice of plastic surgery. In recognition of his war service, Dr. Kazanjian became known as "the miracle man of the Western Front" and was invested by England's King George V in the most distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George. Other honors followed as Dr. Kazanjian returned to the United States, where he continued his education and went on to a brilliant career as a surgeon, teacher at Harvard, and author of scientific articles. This biography traces the many influences that contributed to the remarkable success of the young man who fled from massacres in Ottoman Armenia to the United States in 1895. From modest beginnings in Worcester, Massachusetts, Kazanjian managed to enter Harvard Dental School. He went on to serve in World War I, earn a medical degree, and make remarkable advances in plastic surgery. He is remembered not only for his medical innovations and accomplishments, but also as a kind and modest person, "the gentle genius of plastic surgery."--Adapted from book jacket.