Wounds Sustained in the Trenches of France and Flanders Were Filthy
Most wounds were caused by high explosive shellfire and machine gun bullets and were contaminated by clothing, excrement and metallic fragments. Unexploded shells are found every year in the fields and remain potentially dangerous.
Thousands of soldiers died in the opening months of the Great War from SEPSIS or from GAS GANGRENE because of delay in effective treatment.
Unexploded shells are found every year in the fields and remain potentially dangerous.
Thousands of soldiers died in the opening months of the Great War from SEPSIS or from GAS GANGRENE because of delay in effective treatment.
A Surgical Breakthrough
In 1915, Henry Gray from Aberdeen was in charge of a group of base hospitals in Rouen.
Gray was appalled by the very high loss of life from overwhelming SEPSIS and GAS GANGRENE. He developed an operation called WOUND EXCISION.
Wound excision is the early resection of all dead and contaminated tissue from wounds and the removal of all foreign material. Filthy contaminated wounds were converted into clean ones. Thousands of lives were saved.
Fracture of the Femur – One of the Deadliest Wounds
In 1914, this fracture was splinted using a rifle splint which was useless because it failed to immobilise the fracture. Patients collapsed due to blood loss. The death rate was about 80%.
A Revolution in Management
The Thomas Splint immobilised fractures of the femur effectively and blood loss was significantly reduced. Patients reached Casualty Clearing Stations fit to undergo wound excision to save their limbs & their lives. At the Battle of Arras in April/May 1917, Henry Gray was responsible for the management of 1,006 fractures of the femur. He reduced mortality from 4 in 5 to < 1 in 5.
