Western Front: medical problems Flashcards
What caused trench foot?
Long immersion of the feet in cold, muddy water
What were the symptoms of trench foot?
Blackening and death of surface tissue around the feet, numbness, swelling and blisters
What condition set in during the second stage of trench foot?
Gangrene
Give three ways soldiers tried to prevent trench foot
Rubbing whale oil into feet
Changing socks twice a day
Mechanical pumps to pump water out of the trenches
If gangrene developed, what was the only solution to trench foot?
Amputation
What proportion of its men did the 27th Division of the British Army lose to trench foot in the winter of 1914-15?
One-sixth (2,000 men)
What are the symptoms of trench fever?
Headaches, shivering, recurring joint pain
What caused trench fever?
Lice
In what year was the link between trench fever and lice scientifically proven?
1918
How long would men spend in hospital with trench fever?
At least a month
Give three ways soldiers tried to prevent trench fever on the Western Front
Any three from:
Deep-cleaning uniforms
Bathhouses were built for soldiers to wash themselves
Soldiers were given a louse-repellent gel to put on their clothes and bodies
Machines were sent to the front which used steam to disinfect clothing and bedding
Picking the lice out one by one by hand
What name was given to the process of soldiers picking out lice from their clothing by hand?
Delousing
What percentage of men in the British 2nd Army were deemed unfit for duty with trench fever between July 1917 and July 1918?
15 per cent
How many British soldiers died from gas attacks on the Western Front?
6,000
In what month and year were British soldiers given gas masks on the Western Front?
July 1915
What method was used to prevent the effects of a gas attack before gas masks were issued to soldiers?
Cotton pads soaked in urine pressed to the soldiers’ faces
What gas was first used in 1917?
Mustard gas
Why were gas masks useless against mustard gas?
Mustard gas caused internal and external blisters and passed through clothing to burn the skin
Why were gas attacks a nightmare for those treating the wounded?
It caused short-term effects like blindness and coughing that meant soldiers clogged up treatment areas
What steps did doctors take to treat soldiers suffering from a gas attack?
Gave them oxygen and washed the skin thoroughly to remove traces of poison gas
What is shellshock better known as today?
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
How many British soldiers experienced shellshock on the Western Front?
80,000
What attitude did generals take to shellshock cases at the start of the war?
They accused soldiers of being cowards and some soldiers were shot
What attitude did generals take to shellshock cases as the war progressed?
Soldiers were treated more sympathetically - they were given rest, food and talks to calm them down
By 1917, what would happen to a soldier if they had shellshock as a result of an explosion?
They were sent to a hospital
What is dysentery?
A disease involving the inflammation of the lining of the large intestine
What are the symptoms of dysentery?
Stomach pains, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever
Why was dysentery common in the trenches?
The trenches had poor sanitation and soldiers drank dirty water
What was added to water to purify it and prevent dysentery?
Chloride of lime
What headgear did soldiers wear on the Western Front in 1914?
A soft cap
What was introduced in 1915 to protect soldiers against head injuries?
The Brodie helmet
By how much did the Brodie helmet reduce fatal head wounds on the Western Front?
80%
What material was carried into the body alongside shell fragments that led to infection?
Muddy clothing and soil
What were most Western Front battlefields used for before the First World War?
Farming
Why did infection have time to develop in soldiers’ wounds?
The casualties lay in No Man’s Land for a long time before they were rescued
What was the main infection that caused deaths and amputations on the Western Front?
Gas gangrene
How quickly could gas gangrene kill a person?
One day
