World War 1: The Birthplace of Modern Medical Inventions

Medical procedures and inventions are constantly being developed and made better. World War 1 was a time in which many of the procedures used today were first thought of and used. It was a time that inspired the doctors and nurses working today, not to mention the fact that it’s a topic that still affects everyone in the world today. Medical advancements made during World War 1 had a major impact on the world as evidenced by those advancements still in use today.
Some of the inventions that were brought about during World War 1 include the Thomas Splint, Vehicle X-Ray Units, and the Brodie Helmet. Vehicle X-Ray Units were invented by Marie Curie in 1914, in France. These were used near the battlefield to check for any broken limbs on soldiers before they were sent to a hospital. These are still used today so any injuries can be spotted as soon as possible.(www.ethw.org) The Thomas Splint was originally invented in

1875, by a Welshman named Hugh Owen Thomas, but wasn’t used until 1916. This was when Robert Jones, Hugh Thomas’ nephew, first used the invention. It’s still used today to heal broken bones. Before this invention, such an injury was extremely deadly. Broken thigh bones killed over 80% of soldiers with this injury.(www.walesonline.co.uk) The number dropped to only 5% after the Thomas Splint was used. The Brodie Helmet was invented in 1915. In the beginning of World War 1, head shot wounds were very common and caused the majority of deaths on the battlefield. The Brodie Helmet was the invention to help with this issue at the time. It would protect the head much better than any other helmets provided to fighting soldiers at the time.(www.bbc.com)
Some of the other medical advances include hygiene and the cleaning of wounds, treatments/vaccinations, and even blood transfusions.

Hygiene was extremely poor prior to and during World War 1, especially for soldiers. Because of this and the fact that fighting soldiers couldn’t clean up wounds quickly enough, there were many deaths caused by infection alone. One big issue was trench foot. This was an awful infection caused by soldiers standing in the trenches for too long during battles. Over the course of the war, hygiene and infectious issues were being better dealt with. These issues led to vaccinations and treatment advancements. The earliest forms of the vaccinations and treatments used today were actually introduced in 1914. Those vaccinations and treatments have been improved upon since World War 1. One of the most fascinating things regarding medical procedures at this time has to be blood transfusions. It was 1917, when the first of hundreds of millions of blood transfusions was made. This idea has been improved upon as

well.(www.bbc.co.uk)
The amount of hospitals greatly changed during World War 1. Because of battles going on, hospitals had to be placed in specific areas so that they would be close enough to assist soldiers with enough time to help, but far enough that the battle wouldn’t destroy the hospital itself. This was a great issue throughout much of the war that ended with hundreds of new hospitals.
All of the previously mentioned inventions and advancements have been greatly improved upon and will continue to be made better. Vaccinations and treatments are especially things that need to be improved upon still. Inventions will obviously continue to be made as well. All-in-all, today’s medical works and many of the future inventions and advancements do and will date back to World War 1 where the original advancements for medical issues were made.