57 14 15 16 17 18 The GreatWar Preventative Medicine in the Great War By Tim Cook The Great War was shocking for its infliction of crippling casualties to the armies of citizen soldiers who served in campaigns around the world. On the Western Front, where most British and Canadian soldiers fought and died, the firepower of artillery, machine guns, and rapid-firing rifles cut down soldiers caught in the opening in sickening numbers. The only way to survive was to dig deep into the ground, with deep and interconnected trenches eventually stretching some 700 kilometres along the Western Front from Switzerland to the North Sea. Beneath the earth, trench soldiers tried to endure the hurricane bombardments and sniper fire, and later, as a solution was sought to the stalemate, poison gas, airplanes involved in bombing or ground interdiction fire, mortars, and tanks. The poor bloody infantry, as they sometimes called themselves, were nonetheless resilient and tough. Some broke under the stress, but most found ways to continue in the ghastly conditions of mud, lice, rats, and unending death. Rotations through the front lines of four to six days, a steady issue of rum, good junior officers, and the desire to stand by their comrades kept men going. A robust and effective medical system was also crucial in
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