Wound - BWR Lung?

[DaveDocDavies]

if the cause of death was a blast injury, would it be likely that only one lung would be effected?

Gavin,

Certainly, if the fragment(s) only opened the one chest wall leaving the uninjured left lung to provide life-support. An injury compromising both lungs would have likely been fatal prior to the soldier's reaching the Collecting Station.

Doc D

[Robert Dunlop]

Doc D's mention of fragments is important. The concussion effect of a blast, in the absence of any fragments, would not cause a wound as such. Violent shearing forces, such as those encountered when striking a pillar in a French Parisian underpass at high speed (a decceleration injury - a blast would cause a sudden acceleration, potentially the same problem, but I do not know if this actually happens), can cause rupture of the narrow connection between the lung and the tissues in the centre of the chest. As this connection contains a branch of the windpipe and key blood vessels, rupture can quickly cause death. You can get lung contusions (bleeding and bruising inside the lung tissue) but these would not have counted as a 'wound', mainly because they would have gone undetected clinically. X-rays were used but not routinely. Souttar, in his book 'A Surgeon in Belgium', mentions that Madame Curie joined them in their field hospital, which was situated only a few kilometres from the front at Nieuport/Dixmuide. She helped set up an X-ray machine that was powered by the transmission of a car.

Robert

[GavinH]

Thanks very much for your helpful replies.

Regards

Gavin

[doogal]

Thanks very much for your helpful replies.

from me too

doogal

[doogal]

Hi

For anyone still wishing to read about types of gas used, I have found the following site:

Medical Aspects of Gas Warfare

List of gas used by the enemy:

Acrolein, allylisothiocyanate, arsenic trichloride, arsine, bromacetone, bromacetic ether, bromethylmethylketone, bromide of benzyl, bromide of xylyl, bromide of toluyl, bromine, carbon monoxide, carbonyl chloride (phosgene), chloracetone, chlorine, chloropicrin, cyanogen, dichlorethylsulphide (mustard gas), dichlormethylether, dimethylsulphate, diphenylchlorarsine, diphenylfluorarsine, ethyldichlorarsine, formaldehyde, hydrocyanic acid, hydrosulphuric acid, iodacetic ether, iodacetone, methylchlorsulphonic acid, monochlormethylchloroformate (palite), nitrogen peroxide, phenylcarbylamine chloride, phosphine, phosphorus trichloride, sulphur dioxide, sulphur trioxides and trichlormethylchloroformate (diphosgene or superpalite).

Unfortunately, I think the abbreviation/initials CLO are now up for guesses once more.

Hope the above is of help

regards

doogal

[salientguide]

Just had a word with one of our older radiologists today but CLO is not a set of initials he knows or remembers being in useage. So the mystery remains but may have been a local or even an idividuals medical shorthand notation.

salientguide

[salientguide]

Doogal__ BREAKTHROUGH. Radiologist said stick it on internet came up with several replies --clo2 chlorine dioxide --its not a set of initials its a gas. Your chap has chlorine dioxide related debility. As originally suspected he,d had a dose of chlorine gas enough to send him off for many months recuperation.

salientguide

[doogal]

Hi salientguide,

sorry for the delay coming back to you.

Many thanks for this - I think it must be gas. I've been through all the other possibilities, and when the time out for recovery is added to the way in which he seemed to get gradually accepted on to the the casualty system, my assumption is that getting run down combined with some exposure to gas would be the closest to the truth we will get for the moment.

My only doubt comes from not being able to directly find Chlorine Dioxide mentioned in direct relation to the war. Chlorine is, and also a long list of other chlorine derivatives and compounds. However, this is still the best and most sensible logic.

all the best

doogal

[salientguide]

doogal, thats fine I,m sure it all fits in. What happened to your chap after the war. Most gas cases were usually pretty long term debilitated usually with not a terribly long life span. Any info? cheers SG

[doogal]

Hi salientguide,

He made it back into the frontline, promoted/appointed to acting Lance Corporal in spite of going absent from his final leave for two weeks (his only punishment being docked one day's pay!!). He was then killed in action during the Spring Offensive of 1918.

(as an aside, his records show that when he did finally turn up, the Army got him from Newcastle to Etaples in roughly 24hrs - probably less as he reported himself in at 11:55 pm. Would this be possible today???)

He was out of action for about seven/eight months - from the end of April 1917, through to December 1917 (It would have been November had he turned up for his posting)

He seemed to spend quite some time in 24 general hospital at Etaples, (another abbreviation!!! "Recovering ACS") only going back to the UK on July 22 1917, having been admited to hospital in May. Whilst his records can trace his journey through the casualty and hospital system in France, the trail goes cold for his journey back to the UK and the last days of July through the first two weeks of August. He was posted to duty in Newcastle in mid-August 1917.

regards

doogal