Medicine on the Western Front Flashcards
What was the problem with horse drawn ambulances?
- Artillery shells and bombs destroyed many roads making them unusable
- men were shaken about making their injuries worse
- it was very slow and often lead to capture
Why were motor ambulances eventually used?
public donations
Why did the British revert to using horse drawn ambulances even after receiving funding for motor ones?
The motor ones couldn’t operate in muddy conditions
How many horses were used in the muddiest conditions?
6 instead of the usual 2
When did the first ambulance train arrive?
October 1914
What did the RAMC use before the ambulance train arrived?
French cargo trains
What did the most advanced ambulance trains have?
Operating theatres
What were the advantages of barge ambulances over train?
- harder targets for the Germans
- allowed wounded to bypass Base Hospital and be taken straight back to Britain
What were the 3 main injuries / diseases / illnesses on the western front?
Trench foot
Trench fever
Shellshock
What were the symptoms of trench foot?
Painful swelling of the feet caused by standing in cold mud and water. In the 2nd stage, gangrene set in
Define gangrene
the decomposition of body tissue due a loss of blood supply
What was the solution for trench foot?
Preventions and if gangrene developed, amputation of the leg
What were the preventions for trench foot?
Keeping feet dry
Regularly changing socks
rubbing whale oil into feet
What were the main symptoms of trench fever?
Flu like symptoms with high temperature, headache and aching muscles
Why was trench fever a major problem?
It affected half a million men on the western front
What was the approach to defeating trench fever?
In 1918 when it the cause was identified with lice delousing stations were set up
What was the effect of delousing stations?
The numbers experiencing trench fever declined
What were the symptoms of shellshock?
tiredness, headaches, nightmares, loss of speech, uncontrollable shaking and complete mental breakdown
What was shellshock later identified as?
PTSD
How many british troops experienced shellshock?
80,000
What were the treatment methods for shellshock?
Treatment back in britain for major cases
Some soldiers were accused of cowardice and punished - some were even shot
Why could minor wounds lead to death?
the soil was filled with rich fertiliser that carried bacteria that could cause gangrene infections
When was the brodie helmet introduced?
1915
What was the effect of the brodie helmet?
Reduced head wounds by 80%
What was the previous alternative to the brodie helmet?
a flat cap
When was chlorine gas first used?
April-May 1915, Second Battle of Ypres by the Germans