Death & Disease
Disease was a massive killer in World War 1. Disease was the cause of over 1/3 of the deaths. There were many different reasons for the amount of deaths caused by disease. Things like: lack of resources, lack of medical knowledge, conditions of the trench and condition of the dressing station.
The lack of resources in the war was perhaps the biggest problem faced by both the officers and soldiers. Many soldiers went hungry on days because there wasn’t enough food for everyone. The lack of resources was attributed to the sudden start to the war. Many of the countries involved in the war were unprepared due to the quick events that followed. Civilians felt like that he conditions were worse in town than it was at the front. In chapter 7 of the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, by Eriche Remarque, Paul is on leave and encounters many people, he is confronted by his German Master, Kantorek, and he says to Paul, “…Now what is it like out there…After all, at least your all fed well out there, I hear…Naturally things are worse here, of course they are, goes without saying…” The perception of civilians and people like Kantorek are mislead by lies and deception as Kantorek tells Paul that things are worse at ‘home.’ Kantorek has obviously not seen or heard anything true about the war and what the war holds is a lot worse than people imagine.
Medical knowledge was very basic in comparison to the amount of knowledge today. Many doctors and surgeons worked in the dressing tents, trying to treat what were considered fatal injuries. Many soldiers show with eyes burned by gas, or their arms blown off. Although these injuries might seem treatable today, to treat these injuries it takes resources and knowledge that unfortunately were not possessed in those days. During the war, an injury such as this would most certainly cause death as Medical Staff weren’t able to give much attention as we are confronted in the novel. In the novel Paul visits Franz Kemmerich who has had his leg amputated, Paul is watching him in his dying moments and calls to a doctor, however he replies in a dull and anguished tone, “I have amputated 5 legs today” and pushes Paul out of the way. This is another example of the way that the war impacts upon the soldiers and the medical staff. They become overcome with emotion with the scenes they are confronted with.
The conditions of the trench were perfect for diseases and infection. Factors like rats, affected the men in unimaginable ways. Vermin such and cockroaches, rats, lice, fleas and ticks burrowed their ways in to the trenches.. The rats would eat the food before the chefs could even open the packets and then the rats would be scattered through the rubbish bins scavenging for food. The rats carried infection and disease such as Leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is among the worlds most common diseases transmitted to people from animals. The infection is commonly transmitted to humans by allowing water that has been contaminated by animal urine to come in contact with unhealed breaks in the skin, the eyes, or with the mucous membranes. Leptospirosis is a biphasic disease that begins with flu-like symptoms. The first phase resolves, and the patient are briefly asymptomatic until the second phase begins. This is characterized by meningitis, liver damage (causing jaundice), and renal failure. Hundreds of men would be lying dead all over the battlefield however in the trenches as well. Due to the amount of rotten flesh, rats soon made the trenches their home, taking the food and even devouring the dead men. The bugs were a major problem because the lice and flea would over run the men and burrow their ways permanently in the trenches.
The picture below shows some of the effects of Leptospirosis.
Disease was a massive killer in World War 1. Disease was the cause of over 1/3 of the deaths. There were many different reasons for the amount of deaths caused by disease. Things like: lack of resources, lack of medical knowledge, conditions of the trench and condition of the dressing station.
The lack of resources in the war was perhaps the biggest problem faced by both the officers and soldiers. Many soldiers went hungry on days because there wasn’t enough food for everyone. The lack of resources was attributed to the sudden start to the war. Many of the countries involved in the war were unprepared due to the quick events that followed. Civilians felt like that he conditions were worse in town than it was at the front. In chapter 7 of the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, by Eriche Remarque, Paul is on leave and encounters many people, he is confronted by his German Master, Kantorek, and he says to Paul, “…Now what is it like out there…After all, at least your all fed well out there, I hear…Naturally things are worse here, of course they are, goes without saying…” The perception of civilians and people like Kantorek are mislead by lies and deception as Kantorek tells Paul that things are worse at ‘home.’ Kantorek has obviously not seen or heard anything true about the war and what the war holds is a lot worse than people imagine.
Medical knowledge was very basic in comparison to the amount of knowledge today. Many doctors and surgeons worked in the dressing tents, trying to treat what were considered fatal injuries. Many soldiers show with eyes burned by gas, or their arms blown off. Although these injuries might seem treatable today, to treat these injuries it takes resources and knowledge that unfortunately were not possessed in those days. During the war, an injury such as this would most certainly cause death as Medical Staff weren’t able to give much attention as we are confronted in the novel. In the novel Paul visits Franz Kemmerich who has had his leg amputated, Paul is watching him in his dying moments and calls to a doctor, however he replies in a dull and anguished tone, “I have amputated 5 legs today” and pushes Paul out of the way. This is another example of the way that the war impacts upon the soldiers and the medical staff. They become overcome with emotion with the scenes they are confronted with.
The conditions of the trench were perfect for diseases and infection. Factors like rats, affected the men in unimaginable ways. Vermin such and cockroaches, rats, lice, fleas and ticks burrowed their ways in to the trenches.. The rats would eat the food before the chefs could even open the packets and then the rats would be scattered through the rubbish bins scavenging for food. The rats carried infection and disease such as Leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is among the worlds most common diseases transmitted to people from animals. The infection is commonly transmitted to humans by allowing water that has been contaminated by animal urine to come in contact with unhealed breaks in the skin, the eyes, or with the mucous membranes. Leptospirosis is a biphasic disease that begins with flu-like symptoms. The first phase resolves, and the patient are briefly asymptomatic until the second phase begins. This is characterized by meningitis, liver damage (causing jaundice), and renal failure. Hundreds of men would be lying dead all over the battlefield however in the trenches as well. Due to the amount of rotten flesh, rats soon made the trenches their home, taking the food and even devouring the dead men. The bugs were a major problem because the lice and flea would over run the men and burrow their ways permanently in the trenches.
The picture below shows some of the effects of Leptospirosis.
Trench foot was a common disease in World War 1. Trench foot is a condition caused by long periods of time in which feet are damp, unsanitary conditions, or cold conditions. An example of this is when you go swimming in a pool for a few hours, your palms and fingers of your hand and sole of your feet wrinkle due to the prolonged time, which your palms and fingers of your hand and soul of your feet are in moisture.
Affected feet may become numb, as a result of poor vascular supply, and feet may begin to have a decaying odour due to the possibility of the early stages of the cells dying. As the condition worsens, feet may also begin to swell. Advanced trench foot often involves blisters and open sores, which lead to fungal infections. If left untreated, trench foot usually results in gangrene, which can cause the need for amputation.
The dressing stations were often filled with people who had fatal injuries. Amputation was a very common way to treat wounds, many men lost arms and legs to amputations. The equipment used was often unsterile and caused infection. Many things like the common cold and flu practically lived in the dressing stations and this affected the recovery of many men, effectively preventing the recovery of the injured soldiers. This was a lack of sanitation and lack of resources.
World War 1, had impacts everywhere around the world. The death of so many men caused women to for fill their jobs and cause families to be unsustainable.
Below is a diagram that shows the death toll of soldiers and civilians from participating countries of World War 1.
Affected feet may become numb, as a result of poor vascular supply, and feet may begin to have a decaying odour due to the possibility of the early stages of the cells dying. As the condition worsens, feet may also begin to swell. Advanced trench foot often involves blisters and open sores, which lead to fungal infections. If left untreated, trench foot usually results in gangrene, which can cause the need for amputation.
The dressing stations were often filled with people who had fatal injuries. Amputation was a very common way to treat wounds, many men lost arms and legs to amputations. The equipment used was often unsterile and caused infection. Many things like the common cold and flu practically lived in the dressing stations and this affected the recovery of many men, effectively preventing the recovery of the injured soldiers. This was a lack of sanitation and lack of resources.
World War 1, had impacts everywhere around the world. The death of so many men caused women to for fill their jobs and cause families to be unsustainable.
Below is a diagram that shows the death toll of soldiers and civilians from participating countries of World War 1.
Food
The ration pack soldiers were given were basic it included:
· Meat (bully beef) – 500g
· Bread – 650g
· Bacon – 200g
· Tea – 15g
· Sugar – 60g
· Jam – 60g
· Cheese – 30g
· Butter – 22.5g
· Potatoes – 340.5g
· Salt – 30g
· Pepper – 0.8g
· Mustard – 1.5g
There is a Passage in Remarque’s book when the Area comes back from a terrible day out on the front. When they get back to base they comprehend with the fact that a large amount of the Company sadly lost there lives and for this they come to an understanding that most likely everyone is going to get a Large quantity of Food. The Commander of the Company orders the chef to cook the extra ration resulting in everyone’s sad happiness knowing that they are not going to suffer from starvation. The passage of the Book constantly reminds us of the facts that food was precious to soldiers and something that was treated like gold.
The ration pack soldiers were given were basic it included:
· Meat (bully beef) – 500g
· Bread – 650g
· Bacon – 200g
· Tea – 15g
· Sugar – 60g
· Jam – 60g
· Cheese – 30g
· Butter – 22.5g
· Potatoes – 340.5g
· Salt – 30g
· Pepper – 0.8g
· Mustard – 1.5g
There is a Passage in Remarque’s book when the Area comes back from a terrible day out on the front. When they get back to base they comprehend with the fact that a large amount of the Company sadly lost there lives and for this they come to an understanding that most likely everyone is going to get a Large quantity of Food. The Commander of the Company orders the chef to cook the extra ration resulting in everyone’s sad happiness knowing that they are not going to suffer from starvation. The passage of the Book constantly reminds us of the facts that food was precious to soldiers and something that was treated like gold.