Medical Conditions on the Western Front Flashcards
what was trench fever caused by
body lice which thrived in dirty trench conditions
Symptoms of trench fever
high temperature
headache
aching limbs
solution for trench fever
delousing stations were set up
what caused trench foot
standing in cold water and mud for long periods of time
symptoms of trench foot
painful swelling of the feet, eventually leading to gangrene
solutions to trench foot
rubbing whale oil on feet
keeping socks and feet dry
if gangrene had set in, then the last option was amputation
what caused shell shock (PTSD)
psychological damage as a result of the horrific war environment
symptoms of shell shock
tiredness, nightmares, headaches, loss of speech, shaking, mental breakdown
solutions to shell shock
- in some cases men were treated back in Britian
- generally shell shock was misunderstood and sufferers were often accused of cowardice
what caused gas gangrene
open wound infected by bacteria from the soil
symptoms of gas gangrene
dead tissue and a build up of gas in the wound
solutions to gas gangrene
amputation of infected area was the only way to stop it spreading
what caused gas injuries
chlorine, phosgene and mustard gas
symptoms of gas injuries
burning skin
internal and external blisters
death by suffocation
Solutions to gas injuries
gas masks were given after 1915
but before people would use urine soaked clothes to cover their faces
