After years at the margins of medical history, the relationshipbetween war and medicine is at last beginning to move centre-stage.The essays in this volume focus on one important aspect of thatrelationship: the practice and development of medicine within thearmed forces from the late nineteenth century through to the endof the Second World War. During this crucial period, medicinecame to occupy an important position in military life, especiallyduring the two world wars when manpower was at a premium.Good medical provisions were vital to the conservation of man-power, protecting servicemen from disease and returning the sickand wounded to duty in the shortest possible time. A detailedknowledge of the serviceman"s mind and body enabled the authori-ties to calculate and standardise rations, training and disciplinaryprocedures. Spanning the laboratory and the battlefield, and covering a range ofnational contexts, the essays in this volume provide valuable insightsinto different national...