illnesses and injuries

• trench fever:

  • spread by lice and pests
  • symptoms - headaches, pain in joints, flu-like
  • 1/2 million soldiers suffered
  • prevention:
  • disinfecting clothes and bedding
  • ran lit match down seams to remove lice
  • not successful - damp trenches
• trench foot:

  • rotting of foot due to being in water for long time
  • worsened due to tight boots and unable to change wet socks
  • caused by trenches filled with water-carrying bacteria
  • could lead to gangrene or amputation
  • prevention: mechanical pumps used to reduce flooding
  • reduced cases but trenches still waterlogged
• dysentery:

  • caused by overcrowding and poor hygiene
  • affected bowels
  • caused stomch pains and dehydration
• shell shock:

  • psychological reaction to trauma of war
  • little understood - soldiers accused of cowardice
  • 80,000 British suffered
  • number of cases increased as war went on
  • soldiers tried to be treated by being given rest and food
  • those exposed to explosion sent to specialist centres
  • some men court-martialled for refusing to fight due to shell shock
• wounds by weapons:

  • 60% of injuries were from being shot or explosives
  • pierced organs, broke bones, infected wounds
  • could lead to amputation
• gas attacks:

  • most notable gases were chlorine and mustard gas
  • phosgene gas was most deadly
  • chlorine - 1915, mustard - 1917, phosgene - 1915
  • gas would burn skin, cause internal and external blistering
  • before gas masks, soldiers soaked clothes in urine and held to faces