WWII and medicine

Question 1

X rays

Answer 1

A greater understand around X rays compared to WWI as radiation negative impacts identified and safety of solider improved.

This significantly decreased casualties

Question 2

Blood transfusions

Answer 2

Rhenus Blood type identified in 1939, making transfusions even safer as no adverse reactions to blood would occur.

Blood banks for civilians to donate blood were introduced in cities. 700,00 donors in WWII.

A tetanus vaccine was developed. At the battle of Dunkirk 1940, 17000 vaccinated soldiers were wounded and none developed tetanus.

Question 3

Penicillin

Answer 3

Revolutionary antibiotic which battles infection.

Widely used in WWII, introduced in 1943 and still used to this day.

Question 4

Alexander Flemming

Answer 4

First identified mould that could kill bacteria when researching bacteria.

Carrying out further research on mould he found that it could kill different types of bacteria.

He named this mould penicillin.

People not interested in his findings + expensive + took a long time to produce therefore research dropped.

Question 5

Howard Florey and Ernst Chain