MEDICINE - British Sector of WW1 Flashcards
Who was Harold Gillies?
A British doctor who set up a unit for skin transplants.
A New Zealand doctor that aided the development of plastic surgery in treating severe facial injuries.
Who discovered blood groups?
Karl Landsteiner.
Initially, blood transfusions could not occur because scientists did not know about the different blood groups.
Effect of blood transfusions on the Western front?
After it was discovered in 1914 how to store blood for loner periods of time without clotting (using sodium citrate) large blood banks were used to treat the injured soldiers.
RAMC motto
Faithful in Adversity
What was the job of stretcher bearers?
Part of the Regimental Aid Post
Rescued Wounded from No-Mans-Land
How far back were the reserve and support trench and what were their uses?
Support - Soldiers retreat here if front line under attack. 80m from front line.
Reserve - 100m from Support Trench
What were artillery placements?
Placed at the rear of the trench system.
What did the Army allow the Women from the FANY do for the first time in 1916?
Drive Ambulances.
What is mustard Gas?
Odourless
Began working in 12 hours
Caused both internal and external blisters
Burnt through clothing
What percent of soldiers at Casualty clearing stations had high explosive shells and shrapnel wounds?
58%
How many were treated for shell shock at Edinburgh Hospital “Craiglockhart Hospital”?
2000
Originally, they were treated using electric shocks as if to rewire their brains.
It was later found out that it was simply best to talk about thier experiences for therapy.
306 soldiers were shot for cowardice from having shellshock.
What was gas Gangrene?
A bacteria that could spread through a soldiers body and kill them within a day.
It came from run-off fertiliser in the soil of the Battlefields in France and Belgium.
There was no cure.
The process given to the cutting away of dead, damaged and infected tissue around the site of a wound was known as…
Wound debridement
It needed to be done as soon as possible as infection could spread quickly.
What was the name of the splint used to to keep an injured leg (mostly by bullets or shrapnel) rigid so the soldier could be transported from the front line more efficiently?
The Thomas Splint
Which name below is associated with the successful development and design of mobile x-ray units on the Western Front?
Marie Curie
She was a leading Polish- French scientist and was responsible for equipping 20 mobile x-ray vans in the French sector of the Western Front, known as ‘petites Curies’ (little Curies)
In which sector was the infamous ‘salient’ in which three significant battles took place?
Ypres
There were 3 significant battles within the Ypres salient, they were known as the First, Second and Third Battles of Ypres ( the third battle was also known as Passchendaele) .
During which battle was poison gas used for the first time?
The Second Battle of Ypres
from 22nd April to 25th May 1915. The Germans used poison chlorine gas for the first time. Overall there were 59,000 British losses.
The first ‘ blood bank’ was used to assist with blood transfusions during which battle in 1917?
The Battle of Cambrai
It was the Battle of Cambrai, launched in October 1917, which involved the use of 500 tanks.
Which British sector of The Western Front contained an underground hospital known as ‘ Thompson’s Cave’?
The Arras Sector
The underground hospital played a key role in treating wounded soldiers much closer to the battlefield
Features of the Thompson Cave at the Battle of Arras
700 beds
Electricity
Surgical Suites
Running Water
What does FANY stand for?
First Aid Nursing Yeomanry
Stages of the Chain Of Evacuation?
Regimental Aid Post = Stretcher bearers and regimental aid officers offer basic first aid close to the front line.
Dressing Station = Situated 1 mile from the front line line in abandoned buildings or tents. Dealt with more advanced advanced cases.
Casualty Clearing Station = Better equipped for handling more severe injuries. Situated several miles from the front line. Life threatening injuries were often treated first (through TRIAGE) to improve success rate.
Base Hospital = Near ports on the coast. Most experienced doctors were staffed here to take care of more serious cases. Patients could either be sent back to the front line or sent home depending on their recovery. Arrived by train or ambulance units.
What is triage?
The order to deal with patients.
Urgent cases get treated earlier.
Walking Wounded treated last.
