Guest timgdawson Posted 16 March , 2004 Share Posted 16 March , 2004 Hi everyone, I was just wondering. if trench foot was a modern issue, would there be any effective treatment for that, or would there be any better defence than just well waterproofed boots? Looking forward to any replies, Tim D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Dawson Posted 16 March , 2004 Share Posted 16 March , 2004 Well, in fact Trench Foot is still a modern issue. Apparently 14% of Falkland Islands casualties were caused by trench foot! This link gives some useful background, though I can't vouch for the strict historical accuracy. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/kylet1/tfoot.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest timgdawson Posted 16 March , 2004 Share Posted 16 March , 2004 Thanks, Tim D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Godden Posted 16 March , 2004 Share Posted 16 March , 2004 I suffered a mild case of 'Trench Foot' a few years back. I was, obviously, not in water for for the length of time that one needs to become infected so it was not too bad and cleared up. Although I can still tell that I had it. THe doctor who I went to called it 'Immersion Foot' so presumably it is still a problem in some professions for them to have a new name for it. I was told that in future keeping my feet well oiled would help. In the war they used Whale Oil but as that is not readily available nowadays something like Nivea, with it's high fat content would probably do the trick. Though I would not vouch for it. Ever since I had it I have just made good use of foot powder and done all I could to keep my socks try, i.e changing socks as much as pos. With 2 pairs of socks it is possible. An old trick given to me by a veteran I met was to roll the socks up and keep them under my armpits, that way the heat from the body dries them. Personal massage is also important as it stimualates the nerves. This is of course why trench foot was deemed a 'Self-inflicted-wound' as it was supposed to be a personal protection and awareness thing. Maybe that helps you a little, I hope so. All the best, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brummy Posted 17 March , 2004 Share Posted 17 March , 2004 Hi, Having a cast, on a broken ankle, form a seal around part of my foot some years ago, the doctor told me that I had about 7mm thick layer of dead flesh on my foot (once the cast was removed) . It was in belgium so the doctor may not have been totaly aware of the implications of the words but I was told that this was trench foot. The spelling is probabley wrong (I do not have a medical dictionary here) but I was told the medical term for this is dermitalogical necrosis. I can tell you though that curing this took precidence over the broken ankle, resulting in having to hoble around on crutches with a broken ankle and no plastercast. Also while it was spreading I did not feel a thing, but recovering from it hurt like hell as the dead flesh fell off and new flesh grew, it also stank like hell and I was constantly (5 or 6 times a day) washing it and had to use insect repelent to keep the flies off it. take care of your feet Brum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bohdan Posted 17 March , 2004 Share Posted 17 March , 2004 I once nearlly got trech foot while I was out walking one day. I made sure it was dry at the end of the walking to make sure I did not get trech foot. My feet was slightly wrinckled. A bad experience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bohdan Posted 18 March , 2004 Share Posted 18 March , 2004 timgdawson, I though you had a book on outdoor survival which tells you how to prevent trench foot and cure it. Did you read it properley. (Ray Mears Essencial Bushcraft) Has anyone else read this book by the way, its great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest timgdawson Posted 18 March , 2004 Share Posted 18 March , 2004 Hi guys, Thanks to all of you. It was really interesting to read all of your messages. I didn't realise that trench foot is still such a big thing! Once again, thanks, Tim G Dawson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bohdan Posted 18 March , 2004 Share Posted 18 March , 2004 Trench foot is still today a seroious matter. Even though we have better madics in our hospitals, trench foot could still ruin your week out. You don't have to be at war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Warnes Posted 25 March , 2004 Share Posted 25 March , 2004 I ended up with trench foot while walking the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea in 2001. I lost all of the skin on my foot and had to wait till the skin healed. Plenty of antibiotics and feet in the air. Think of a piecs of raw steak and it will give you an idea what it looks like. I did complete the walk though! The morel is if you have a cut or scratch on your feet care for it (first aid) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 25 March , 2004 Share Posted 25 March , 2004 Is trench foot the same as athlete's foot? I caught this in Oz when I was quite young and it haunted me for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Dawson Posted 25 March , 2004 Share Posted 25 March , 2004 No, they are completely different. Athlete's Foot is a fungal infection. It can be caused by not letting your feet breathe properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Carolyn Posted 27 March , 2004 Share Posted 27 March , 2004 I remember warnings about trench foot when I was at the Glastonbury festival a few years back when it chucked it down all weekend. The mud was knee-deep all over the site and even though it was just for the weekend it gives some sort of (very small) idea what the soldiers in WWI were going through with the mud alone. Walking was very difficult, showering was useless as you were covered in it again within minutes and the physical strain of wading through mud meant days of shuffling (nicknamed the Glastonbury Shuffle by me and my Dad) rather than walking after we got home. We were also warned about catching horrible diseases because of the mud, mainly gastro-intestinal complaints (these were normally cow-fields). How the soldiers coped with the rest of it on top (guns, shells, gas, death, lice etc) is beyond me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest timgdawson Posted 28 March , 2004 Share Posted 28 March , 2004 Thanks again for your replies, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Warnes Posted 31 March , 2004 Share Posted 31 March , 2004 Tim You have activated my curiosity, I will try and get my foot photos from the Darwin Hospital Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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