western front (history) TBF

sources that could be used in 4 marker

• diaries/letters

• photographs

• newspaper reports

• medical articles

structure for source analysis 8 marker

CONTENT
source X is ___ useful for an enquiry into ___. The source suggests that ___

I know this because the source shows ___.

CONTEXT

the source is accurate of the time as ____. This was a result of ___.

PROVENANCE

the N/O/P makes it more/less useful because ____ , helping us to understand more about ___

trench fever- cause, symptoms, treatment/prevention

• spread by lice that live in clothing

• causes severe headaches, fever, joint pain and requires long hopsital stays to recover

• bath houses built + lice repellent gel given to soldiers to prevent spread

trench foot- cause, symptoms, treatment/prevention

• happens if feet cannot be kept clean + dry e.g. standing in waterlogged trenches

• feet become numb and blistered- could lead to gangrene or amputation

• pumps sent to trenches to reduce waterlogging and whale oil rubbed into feet for protection

amputations and head injuries- cause, treatment/prevention

• caused by weapons, infections common as fragments of soil/clothing brought into flesh when skin is pierced, made worse by shrapnel that spread infection around body/cause further damage

• amputations prevent infections from reaching rest of body, and steel helmets provided by 1916

gas attacks- cause, symptoms, treatment/prevention

• caused by chlorine/ mustard/ phosgene gases

• can lead to internal blistering/ dissolves lungs, as well as blindness + coughing

• gas masks developed, victims given oxygen to reduce breathing problems

difficulties faced when evacuating wounded soldiers

• can only go at nighttime to avoid snipers/shellfire

• wounds could become infected whilst soldiers wait to be rescued

• complicated system + traverses make it slower for soldiers to reach medical care

chain of evacuation

• stretcher bearers (carry basic medical supplies, often not enough)

• regimental aid post (bandages light wounds, found in a dugout near front line)

• field ambulance and dressings stations (mobile medical unit with medical officers and nurses, dresses wounds/sends to CCS)

• casualty clearing station (operating theatres, x rays machines, wards)

• base hospital (laboratiories + specialist treatments, long term stay)

medical staff (4)

• Royal Army Medical Corps (organised + provides medical care, from stretcher bearers to doctors)

• Queen Alexandra nurses (well trained)

• VAD nurses (domestic work and basic nursing e.g. dressing, middle class female volunteers)

• First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (female volunteers who practically assisted RAMC e.g drove ambulances, provided first aid

how was the problem of blood loss solved

• Karl Landsteiner discovered blood groups in 1900 to make successful transfusions possible

• sodium citrate could be added to prevent clotting, so blood banks could be created ahead of major attacks to reduce preventable deaths

medical development- treating infection

• carbolic acid used to kill bacteria (aseptic surgery impossible)

• Carrel-Dakin method of chemical irrigation prevented gangrene

• by cutting away flesh around wound, prevents bacteria from remaining in body

medical development- Thomas splint

• pulled bones lengthways, allowing femur to heal/preventing blood loss from bones grinding against each other

• reduced need for amputation, death rates 80-20%

medical development- mobile x ray machines

• allow surgeons to locate shrapnel without invasive surgery, reducing chance of infection/decreasing recovery time of surgery