What was medicine like during World War One? | History for Year 6 PDF Download

How were injured soldiers treated?

The First World War marked significant changes in the treatment of injuries and illnesses, driven by the need to quickly return soldiers to combat.

• Rapid Treatment Near Battlefields: Casualty stations, often operated by the Red Cross, were established close to battlefields to provide swift medical care for injured and sick soldiers, enabling their rapid return to duty when possible.
• Women’s Contributions on the Front Line: Female volunteers played crucial roles as nurses and ambulance drivers, often working grueling 14-hour shifts or longer during surges of casualties.

Injuries and Illnesses

Soldiers faced not only battle-related injuries but also illnesses stemming from harsh trench conditions. Key health issues included:

• Poison Gas Attacks: The war saw widespread use of poison gas, which could incapacitate soldiers within minutes. Protective masks were issued, but many suffered lifelong effects, as vividly described in Wilfred Owen’s poem Dulce et Decorum Est.
• Trench Fever: Caused by body lice, this illness led to fever, headaches, muscle aches, and skin sores, with recovery taking around 12 weeks.
• Trench Foot: Prolonged exposure to water and mud caused severe foot conditions, sometimes leading to amputation in extreme cases where socks fused to soldiers’ feet.
• Shell Shock: The relentless noise of warfare caused mental health issues, now recognized as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some soldiers struggled to follow orders, and while some were sent to hospitals, others were forced to continue fighting, often stigmatized as weak.

What is Triage?

The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) implemented a triage system to prioritize treatment for British troops, categorizing soldiers into three groups:

1. Slightly Injured: Those requiring minimal care were treated on-site and returned to combat.
2. Need Hospital: Soldiers needing more extensive treatment were transported to nearby hospital bases.
3. Beyond Help: Those with little chance of recovery were made comfortable, but priority was given to others.

Medical Advances

The war spurred significant medical progress:

• X-ray Technology: Enabled surgeons to locate bullets accurately, facilitating many successful operations.
• Blood Transfusions: Blood storage techniques were developed, allowing transfusions that saved soldiers with burns, tissue damage, or infectious diseases who would have previously died.

What was Spanish Flu?

Emerging in March 1918, Spanish Influenza infected a third of the global population and was dubbed “the greatest enemy of all.” It earned its name because Spain, a neutral country, reported the pandemic’s impact freely, unlike warring nations with restricted media.

What caused it?

• Initially, some speculated it was due to poison gas. We now know it originated in animals and birds before transmitting to humans.
• The flu spread globally via trade ships, and the close quarters of soldiers in camps and trenches accelerated its transmission.

How did it impact the world?

• The Spanish Flu claimed 40–50 million lives, far surpassing the death toll of World War I.

How were soldiers cared for after the war had ended?

After the war, soldiers returned to civilian life with varying challenges:

• Those without physical or mental injuries reintegrated more easily.
• Many faced physical conditions like amputations, lung issues, or blindness.
• Shell shock, now recognized as PTSD, was poorly understood, often mistaken for cowardice. A decade after the war, many veterans still required treatment for this psychological condition.