Wounds of War: WW1 Medical History

World War One was a catastrophe of unprecedented scale, causing sixteen million deaths and twenty-one

million wounded. Shrapnel, gunshots, and chemical burns were tragically common,

while infections were rampant in the filthy conditions. Brave medics and stretcher-bearers risked their

lives, rushing through the line of fire to rescue the wounded.

Essential bandages, tourniquets, and early antiseptics saved countless lives as soldiers desperately

helped one another. Mobile hospitals revolutionized care, using the system of triage to

prioritize and treat those with the best chance of survival first. Innovations in surgery,

more effective antiseptics, and the use of motorized ambulances significantly increased the survival rates of