William H. Bridgers

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Item Description

Description
  • Bridgers graduated from Duke University School of Medicine in 1936. He was part of the Duke Hospital house staff from 1936 to 1940. In the early 1940s, Bridgers served with the 65th General Hospital as neurosurgeon for the unit. He traveled to London and learned from silversmiths there how to manipulate large plates of metal. In one case, he constructed and attached an entire prosthetic forehead from tantalum, a special inert metal, to the skull of a wounded B-17 pilot, sewing the scalp back in place to leave the patient looking almost the same as he had before the flak injury. The physicians of the 65th General Hospital came to be known for their innovative and successful techniques.
Date created
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Identifier
  • per00010
Resource type
Holding entity
Archival collection
  • Photograph & Negative Collection
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