From Troy to Vietnam: A diachronic analysis of injuries and treatment modalities
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Prudence Jones
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 1:30 PM
End Date
25-4-2025 2:29 PM
Description
This project aims to compare the types of injuries and treatment modalities in the Vietnam War and the Trojan War. Even though at first glance the battles appear to be widely different, there are parallels that can be drawn between the two in terms of the injuries that were sustained by the soldiers and the steps taken to treat them. The methodology focuses on close reading of primary sources such as Homer's epic poem, the Iliad, and Lynda van Devanter's collection of poems, Visions of war, dreams of peace: writing of women in the Vietnam War. Secondary sources provide important context for the analysis of the primary sources. Our findings suggest that there are patterns in both fatality rates and treatment protocols even across this wide span of time. Despite medical advances, head wounds ranked highest in the lethality scale in both ancient and modern warfare. Points of contact between ancient and modern warfare also were found in treatment strategies such as pain control and rapid transport off the battlefield. Beyond recording the horrors of war, poetry is a medium that gives voice to those who have suffered those horrors. Therefore, there may be a potential application for poetry as a therapeutic tool in initiating difficult conversations and creating communities in which returning soldiers can break their silence.
From Troy to Vietnam: A diachronic analysis of injuries and treatment modalities
This project aims to compare the types of injuries and treatment modalities in the Vietnam War and the Trojan War. Even though at first glance the battles appear to be widely different, there are parallels that can be drawn between the two in terms of the injuries that were sustained by the soldiers and the steps taken to treat them. The methodology focuses on close reading of primary sources such as Homer's epic poem, the Iliad, and Lynda van Devanter's collection of poems, Visions of war, dreams of peace: writing of women in the Vietnam War. Secondary sources provide important context for the analysis of the primary sources. Our findings suggest that there are patterns in both fatality rates and treatment protocols even across this wide span of time. Despite medical advances, head wounds ranked highest in the lethality scale in both ancient and modern warfare. Points of contact between ancient and modern warfare also were found in treatment strategies such as pain control and rapid transport off the battlefield. Beyond recording the horrors of war, poetry is a medium that gives voice to those who have suffered those horrors. Therefore, there may be a potential application for poetry as a therapeutic tool in initiating difficult conversations and creating communities in which returning soldiers can break their silence.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.