Nancy Hulston, MA
Adjunct Associate Professor of the History of Medicine and Archivist
Anthony L. Kovac, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
Kansas University School of Medicine

One Kansas City physician who served and commanded Base Hospital #28 was John Fairbairn Binnie. Born in Stirling, Scotland, April 22, 1863, he trained and qualified as a surgery specialist in the United Kingdom before moving to Kansas City in 1889. He was the son of Reverend William Binnie, a minister of the Reformed Presbyterian Church who, in 1875, moved the Binnie family from Stirling to Aberdeen, Scotland, where Rev. Binnie took a position as Professor of Church History in the Free Church College. Subsequently, in 1882, John Binnie received his A.M. degree at King’s College, Aberdeen, and enrolled at the Marischal College of Medicine, graduating M.D. in 1886, with an advanced qualification as Master of Surgery or C.M. After further surgical training in Goettingen and Berlin, Binnie emigrated to America and Kansas City, Missouri, to begin a surgical practice at General Hospital. In 1905 he joined the newly formed University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kansas, as Professor of Surgery.

Binnie was elected to fellowship in the American Surgical Association in 1901, and served as vice-president in 1907 and 1919. In 1906, he was elected a member of the Society of Clinical Surgery and the Societe Internationale de Chirurgie (Belgium). Binnie is believed to be one of the founders of the Kansas City Country Club, and is thought to have brought one of the first golf clubs to Kansas City, a Spoon Brassie from Aberdeen. In 1909, at the age of 46, Binnie married Ellen Mosher.

Along with Dr. Lindsay Milne, Binnie helped organized Base Hospital # 28 in Kansas City, and went to France with the rank of major in the United States Army Medical Reserve Corps.2-3 In accordance with the mobilization of medical units from the United States (US) at the time of its entry into World War I, the War Department used base hospitals, staffed from a variety of American cities and universities. Prior to US entry into the war, the Lakeside Unit from Cleveland, Ohio, which included Dr. George Crile of Base Hospital #4 was located at Neuilly, France (1914). From Boston, Massachusetts, Base Hospital #5 included Dr. Harvey Cushing. From Kansas City, the surgical leader was Dr. John F. Binnie, who had authored a popular surgical textbook, “Manual of Operative Surgery” which was in its 7th edition in 1916.

Lt. Col. John Fairbairn Binne, MD, CM

Of specific interest about surgery at Base Hospital #28 and noted in the Kansas City Star newspaper on January 7, 1919, was an interview with Cpl. Clyde Morris, a corpsman who worked as an anesthetist at Base Hospital #28. The newspaper article described his impressions while giving anesthesia for operations performed by Dr. Binnie. Morris mentioned in the article that Binnie, after one of his consultation trips near the front, returned to Base Hospital #28 and operated on nine patients. Cpl. Morris gave the first anesthetic. Because of the problem of doing multiple surgeries in a short amount of time, anesthetists worked in teams. Morris gave the first anesthetic while working with Cpl. Neal Woodruff that day. He mentioned that by the time he started, Cpl. Woodruff had the next man ready, anesthetized, and brought to the operating room, at which time Cpl. Morris finished the anesthetic on the first patient. Then, Cpl. Woodruff started the anesthetic on the next patient. In this way, no time was lost between patients and the surgeon merely had time to change gloves and gown before starting the next case. On that day, Binnie completed nine operations. Cpl. Morris and Cpl. Woodruff noted how the opportunity to serve as anesthetists in a base hospital under Dr. Binnie afforded them a rare opportunity and how much they appreciated working for him. They remarked that while many doctors and students had the opportunity to observe Binnie’s work at home in Kansas City, these men were able to observe and give anesthesia for his patients at Base Hospital #28 under the constraints of war.

A Fatherly John Binnie Looking Over His Medical Staff in France

In 1918, John Binnie was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and served as a consultant surgeon to the Third Army Corps. He received a citation for Exceptionally Meritorious and Conspicuous Service at Base Hospital # 28, Limoges, France. At this time, it was evident to his many friends, notably Dr. Harvey Cushing, that Binnie was suffering from overwork and he was ordered home for a rest. While awaiting sailing orders, Binnie suffered a cerebral hemorrhage at Angers, France, and was sent to New York on a hospital ship. After arrival in the US, he was transferred to a government hospital at Fox Hills (Staten Island, New York). When he was well enough, he returned to Kansas City.

A Pensive Major Binnie at Base Hospital #28 in France

In March, 1919, Binnie was able to resume his practice in Kansas City, but in July 1921, he suffered a second stroke, which caused total paralysis of his right arm, leg and trunk. This resulted in his inability to speak, read, or write. Discouraged and depressed, he was admitted to Letterman Army Hospital in San Diego. Relatively content in San Diego, he took an interest in hospital activities and enjoyed being chauffeured around the area by automobile. He remained in San Diego until his death on November 28, 1936, and was buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego.

Images are from the National WW-I Museum at Liberty Memorial and the Western Historical Manuscript Collection, both in Kansas City, Missouri; and the archives of the Kansas University School of Medicine, in Kansas City,Kansas.