Medecine Paper WW1 key info

Ypres

1915, first use of chlorine gas by the Germans, very muddy due to the soil

Somme

1916, 20,000 British deaths on the first day, total British deaths in the battle 200,00

Arras

1917, underground tunnels used, one for a hospital with 700 beds and electricity

Cambrai

1917, 450 tanks used, first large scale use of tanks in WW1, blood banks introduced at this battle for the first time

Machine guns

Lewis gun could fire 550 rounds per minute

Rifles

British: Lee Enfield rifle with space for 10 bullets

Chlorine gas

Used by Germans in 1915, caused temporary blindness

Mustard gas

First used by Germans in 1917, odourless and caused blisters on the skin

Trench fever

Lice spread this disease causing flu like symptoms, affected half a million men on the western front

Shell-shock

Not yet diagnosed nervousness, experienced by over 80,000 British troops

Thomas splint

20% chance of survival from gunshot or shrapnel wounds before 1916, when invented in 1916 survival rates went up to 82%

Carrel-Dakin method

Involved sterilised salt solution in the wound through a tube. This helped reduce the rate infection from gas gangrene

Plastic surgery

Harold Gillies developed a technique to help restore skin on the face, skin grafts and face masks used

Trench foot

Feet stood in mud caused painful swelling and gangrene later on, winter of 1914-15 20,000 allied men affected

Dysentery

Drinking dirty water could lead to this disease caused by bacteria. Major cause of illness and death

X-rays

Invented 1895 by William rontgen, in WW1 mobile X-ray units working out of the back of a motorised ambulances meant more soldiers could’ve X-rayed

Amputation

Used widely to treat infection, trench foot often led to amputation, by 1918 240,000 men had lost limbs

Blood transfusions

In 1915 it was discovered adding sodium citrate to blood prevented clotting, in 1916 it was discovered adding citrate glucose solution to blood allowed it to be stored for 4 weeks, blood banks

RAMC

Royal army medical corp membership went from 9000 in 1914 to 113,000 in 1918

Evacuation route stage 1

Stretcher bearers 16 per battalion (1000 soldiers)

Evacuation route stage 2

Regimental aid post close to front line one RAMC officer

Evacuation route stage 3

Field ambulance

Evacuation route stage 4

Casualty clearing station, equipped with X-ray machines, roughly 10 miles from the front lines

Evacuation route Stage 5

Base hospitals arrival by train or motorised vehicle, soldiers would rest here or have long term treatment for gas poisoning