WW1 Medicine

Question 1

When was the 1st Battle of Ypres?

Answer 1

1914

Question 2

What happened during the 1st Battle of Ypres?

Answer 2

First time using mines under German positions

Question 3

When was the 2nd Battle of Ypres?

Answer 3

1915

Question 4

What happened during the 2nd Battle of Ypres

Answer 4

First use of chlorine gas by Germans

Question 5

When was the Battle of the Somme?

Answer 5

1916

Question 6

What happened during the Battle of the Somme?

Answer 6

Bloodiest battle
400000 casualties
Used first tanks

Question 7

When was the Battle of Arras?

Answer 7

1917

Question 8

What happened during the Battle of Arras?

Answer 8

British built tunnels for bases and an underground hospital with 700 beds

Question 9

When was the Battle of Cambrai?

Answer 9

1918

Question 10

What happened during the Battle of Cambrai?

Answer 10

First tank battle (450 tanks used)

Question 11

What was used to transport the wounded?

Answer 11

Stretcher bearers
Horse ambulance
Ambulance cars
Trains

Question 12

What was the problem with horse ambulances?

Answer 12

Often made patients worse beacuse of the shaky, unstable journey

Question 13

What was the problem with ambulance cars?

Answer 13

Shortage at the start of war
Hard to drive on destroyed roads

Question 14

What were the names of the trenches (in order from closest to No Man’s Land)?

Answer 14

Frontline
Support
Reserve
All linked via the communication trenches

Question 15

What structure was used to prevent trench foot in the trenches?

Answer 15

Duckboard

Question 16

What was a dugout?

Answer 16

Hole in trench used for cover

Question 17

What caused trench foot?

Answer 17

Standing in waterlogged trenches with no change of boots or socks

Question 18

How did they try to prevent trench foot?

Answer 18

Soldiers carried 3 pairs of socks and changed them twice in a day
Whale oil rubbed onto feet
Tried pumping water out of trenches

Question 19

What were the different types of gases used?

Answer 19

Chlorine, phosgene, mustard

Question 20

When was chlorine gas first used?

Answer 20

1915

Question 21

When was phosgene gas first used?

Answer 21

1915

Question 22

When was mustard gas first used?

Answer 22

1917

Question 23

What did mustard gas do?

Answer 23

Caused internal + external blisters even through clothes

Question 24

What were the symptoms of shellshock?

Answer 24

Tiredness
Nightmares
Loss of speech
Uncontrollable shaking
Complete mental breakdown

Question 25

What was trench fever?

Answer 25

Flu-like illness caused by lice, affected 500000 soldiers Prevented using delousing stations

Question 26

What percentage of injuries were caused by shrapnel/artillery shells?

Answer 26

58%

Question 27

Who were the RAMC?

Answer 27

Royal Army Medical Corps Responsible for medical care and organised treatments

Question 28

Who were the FANY?

Answer 28

First Aid Nursing Yeomanry Drove ambulances, delivered supplies to the battlefield and set up mobile baths

Question 29

What were the steps of the chain of evacuation?

Answer 29

Regimental Aid Post -> Advanced Dressing Station -> Casualty Clearing Station -> Base Hospital

Question 30

What did Regimental Aid Posts do?

Answer 30

Close to front line, gave immediate first aid

Question 31

What did Advanced Dressing Stations do?

Answer 31

Dealt with more serious issues Had medical officers but no surgery

Question 32

What did Casualty Clearing Stations do?

Answer 32

Had doctors, x-ray machines and operating theatres Treated critical injuries

Question 33

What did Base Hospitals do?

Answer 33

Treated the worst of the worst Had the most equipment and technology Even some specialist hospitals for things like head wounds or plastic surgery existed

Question 34

When were x-rays discovered?

Answer 34

1901

Question 35

Who discovered x-rays?

Answer 35

Wilhelm Roentgen

Question 36

What were the issues with early x-ray machines?

Answer 36

Slow and impossible to move around

Question 37

What were the issues with mobile x-ray units?

Answer 37

Took ages Poor quality images Overheated very quickly (could only be used 3 times an hour)

Question 38

When and how could blood start being stored?

Answer 38

1915 Sodium Citrate stopped blood clotting

Question 39

When was the Thomas Splint invented?

Answer 39

1915

Question 40

How did the Thomas Splint work?

Answer 40

Kept leg straight to bone would heal in correct position Survival rates increased form 20% to 80%

Question 41

How was brain surgery improved?

Answer 41

Development of magnets to withdraw metal objects from skull Local anaesthetics used to stop brain swelling Chain of evacuation meant that people with head injuries were taken to hospitals faster Specialist base hospitals built just for head injuries

Question 42

Who pioneered plastic surgery?

Answer 42

Harold Giles

Question 43

How was plastic surgery done?

Answer 43

Using skin grafts (taking skin from one area of the body and putting it on another) Using jaw splints, wiring and replacement cheeks

Question 44

How many specialist hospitals for plastic surgery were in France by 1915?

Answer 44

7, totalling to 12000 operations done

Question 45

How was gas gangrene treated?

Answer 45

Amputation Wound excision - cutting away dead tissue around a wound to reduce infection The Carrel-Dakin method - sterilised salt solution pumped in wound through tube

Question 46

What were the issues with the Carrel-Dakin method?

Answer 46

Only lasted for 6 hours There wasn't enough of it Had to be ready made beforehand