On the verge of death. Treatment of wounds in World War II 1812

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At the forefront of medicine


As mentioned earlier, the main striking factor in the fields of World War II was a gunshot weapon. So, in the battle of Borodino, the proportion of such wounded in hospitals was about 93%, of which from 78% to 84% with bullet wounds, the rest were hit by artillery. It can also be assumed that the wounds from sabers, broadswords and the peak were much more deadly, and the unfortunates simply did not have time to get to the dressing points and hospitals. Be that as it may, field doctors had to deal primarily with gunshot wounds. For this purpose, military medical kits — corps, regiment and battalion — were manufactured at the tool factory created by Jacob Willie in 1796. The simplest, of course, was the battalion, which included all 9 devices for resection and amputation. In the regimental set there were already 24 medical instruments, allowing, among other things, to connect and disconnect tissues. The corps medical kit consisted of 106 (according to other sources, 140) devices with which it was already possible to operate on severe craniocerebral wounds.





How did the doctor begin to work with the patient in a military temporary hospital? First of all, the depth of a bullet wound and the presence of foreign bodies in it were determined. The surgeon, if necessary, removed a splinter or bullet with his fingers, forceps, spatula and other suitable devices.

В historical literature was the memoirs of an officer of the Russian army, illustrating the everyday life of the hospital:
“The crowd parted, and my guide escorted me to a doctor who, with his arms rolled up to his elbow, stood at the blackboard, stained with blood ... I pointed out to the doctor’s demand, where is my wound, and his associates, paramedics, put me on the board so as not to to bother the wounded leg, they waved the knife of the leggings and boots with a knife and, baring my leg, tried the wound, telling the doctor that my wound was strange: there was one hole, but the bullets did not feel it. I asked the doctor himself to carefully examine and frankly explain to me whether I would stay with my foot or should I say goodbye to her. He also tried with a probe and said: “Something hurts,” and asked for permission to test; he stuck his finger into the wound, the pain was unbearable, but I took courage, not showing at the same time the slightest weakness. Having searched the doctor, he said on my bone that the bullet was restrained in the bone and it was difficult to take out and it was not easy to undergo the operation, “but I assure you with a noble word, the doctor objected that the wound was not dangerous, because the bone was not cut; let me, I will bandage the wound myself, and you can go anywhere. ” In less than a minute, the wound was bandaged, and the doctor announced to me that until 3 days, do not touch my wound and dressing. "


On the verge of death. Treatment of wounds in World War II 1812

Field or battalion surgical kit


Bleeding, which was inevitable during wounds on the battlefield, was stopped by pulling with plaits, laying snow or ice (“removing frost”), as well as by tamponization, for example, with chewing paper. If necessary, they could cauterize with hot steel, often in this role the blade of a suitable saber or broadsword played. In those days, they were already familiar with the methods of ligation of large bleeding arteries and, if time allowed and an experienced doctor was present, such a stunning operation was carried out using an arterial hook. To wash the wound, red wine or pure cool water was used, to which salt and lime were often added. This was followed by drying and tight dressing of the wound. Sometimes gaping wounds were sealed with plaster or simply sutured. The soldiers were bandaged with improvised materials, and batiste shawls were used for generals and officers. As mentioned earlier, the main danger of injuries, especially gunshot wounds, was the development of "Antonov fire", or anaerobic infection. They fought with this “only through suppuration”, which was regularly freed from pus or “defecated”. In some cases, small fragments and bullets were not specially removed from shallow wounds, but waited for the foreign body to come out with pus. They “defecated” the wound, releasing blood from nearby veins, as well as dissecting the skin around the wound “lips” with lancets. In some cases, the larvae of flies played a positive role, which often caused insanitary conditions in festering wounds - under the supervision of doctors, insects cleaned wounds and accelerated healing. Russian doctors and leeches did not forget - they were applied to inflamed tissues to remove "bad" blood. All surgical procedures, as can be understood from the description, were extremely painful for the wounded. Trying to avoid death from a “nervous shock” (pain shock), the doctors at the most critical moments anesthetized the soldiers with ordinary vodka, and the officers were supposed to use opium and “sleepy potions” for this purpose. First of all, such simple anesthesia was used for amputations of limbs. In the Russian army, the deprivation of people’s hands and feet was not abused, as in the French troops, where safety amputation was practiced, but often it was impossible to do without it. Mortality after such operations was quite high, and the most difficult for the doctors caused high traumatic amputations of the thigh and shoulder from the cannonball or saber. In such cases, it was necessary to completely remove the remnants of the limb, which most often led to the death of the unfortunate.


Amputation Instruments


During amputation, soft tissues were dissected by lancets and amputation knives, and bones were sawn with special saws. Infectious inflammation of bone tissue (osteomyelitis, or “caries”, which clearly became the diagnosis of amputation of the limb) became a real disaster in severe bullet wounds.

In the memoirs of participants in the events of the Patriotic War there are such lines cooling blood:
“The cutters washed the wound, from which meat hung in shreds and a sharp piece of bone was visible. The operator took a crooked knife from a drawer, rolled up his sleeves to the elbow, then quietly approached a damaged arm, grabbed it and turned it so deftly with a knife above the shreds that they instantly fell away. Tutolmin cried out and began to gasp, the surgeons spoke to drown him out with their noise, and with hooks in their hands rushed to catch veins of fresh meat in their hands; they pulled and held them, meanwhile, the operator began to cut the bone. This was apparently causing terrible pain. Tutolmin, trembling, groaned and, suffering torment, seemed exhausted to fainting; he was often sprayed with cold water and allowed to smell alcohol. Sawing off the bone, they picked up the veins in one bundle and tightened the cut-off place with genuine leather, which was left and trimmed for this; then they sewed it up with silk, put a compress on it, tied it up with bandages and that’s the end of the operation. ”




Medicines, which at that time did not differ in variety, played an important role in therapy. Russian doctors used camphor and mercury, hoping in vain for their supposed anti-inflammatory and soothing effect. An abscess was used to treat abscesses, wounds healed with olive and sunflower oil, vinegar stopped bleeding, and opium, in addition to its anesthetic effect, was used to slow intestinal motility, which helped with injuries to the abdominal cavity.

The best in their field


A surgeon at a military hospital in the beginning of the 19th century had to be able to carry out six types of operations: connections, disconnections, extraction of foreign bodies, amputation, addition and rectification. During the first wound dressing it was required in the instructions to expand it “in order to change its property and give it the appearance of a fresh and bloody wound”.

Particular emphasis was on the expansion of wounds of the extremities in areas with large muscle mass:
“The wounds of the members, consisting of many muscles and a strong tendonous membrane clothed, must certainly be expanded, which is of course the post-shoots of the thigh, calf and shoulder. Cuts are not necessary and useless in places, for the most part consisting of bones and in which there is very little muscle creature. Under these places, the head, chest, arm (excluding the palm), leg, lower calf, and articulated joints should be understood. ”


The historian of medicine, doctor of sciences, professor S. P. Glossy in his publications gives an example of the treatment of traumatic aneurysms (cavities) of large blood vessels. Injured were prescribed
“Aversion to any strong heart movement and extreme peace of mind and body: a cool atmosphere and diet, diminishing amounts of blood (bloodletting), calming (slowing down) the heart’s movement with saltpeter, digitalis, lily of the valley, mineral water, external use of cold, constricting agents and light pressure like whole member, so especially the main trunk of the artery. "




Concussions in Russian hospitals were treated simply with peace and observation of the patient, burns were plentifully greased with sour cream, honey, oil and fat (which often caused complications), frostbites were treated with ice water or snow. However, such “warming” of a frostbitten limb often led to gangrene with all the ensuing consequences.

For all the effectiveness of the field medicine of the Russian army, there was one serious drawback, expressed in the outdated treatment of fractures at that time. In the war, to immobilize the limbs, sponges or “apparatus for bandaging fractures” were used, while the doctor from Vitebsk, Karl Ivanovich Gibenthal, suggested using plaster bandages. But a negative review by the professor of the St. Petersburg Medical and Surgical Academy, I.F. Bush, precluded the use of gypsum for immobilizing fractures. Plastering of fractures came into the practice of Russian field doctors only in the era of the legendary Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov.

An important factor that influenced the effectiveness of the medical service of the Russian army was a chronic shortage of personnel - only 850 doctors participated in the war. That is, one doctor immediately had 702 soldier and officer. Unfortunately, increasing the size of the army at that time in Russia was easier than supplying the necessary number of doctors. At the same time, Russian military doctors managed to accomplish incredible feats - mortality in hospitals was miserable for that time 7-17%.

It is important to note that the saving tactics for treating limb wounds had a positive effect on the fate of the 1812 war veterans of the year. Many seriously wounded soldiers continued to serve for five to six years after the end of the war. So, in the list of soldiers of the Life Guards of the Lithuanian Regiment, dated 1818 year, you can find the following lines:
“Private Semen Shevchuk, 35 years old, was wounded in the right leg below the knee with damage to the bones and lived, which is why he owns it badly; also injured in the knee of his left leg. The guard officer is disabled.
Private Semen Andreev, years old, 34. He was wounded in the thigh of his left leg right through with damage to his veins, which is why he owns it badly. To the garrison garrison.
Private Dementium Flowerbed, 35 years. He was wounded in the right arm at the shoulder, as well as in the left leg, which is why he has poor control over both the arm and the leg. To the garrison garrison.
Private Fedor Moiseev, 39 years. He was wounded in the left arm with fragmentation of bones, which is why he owns it poorly; also in the right of the abscess the veins are damaged, which is why the index finger is brought down. The guard officer is disabled.
Private Vasily Loginov, 50 years. He was wounded by buckshot in the metatarsus of his left leg with bone fragmentation. The guard officer is disabled.
Private Franz Hazel, 51 year. Injured by a bullet in the right leg below the knee and in the left leg in the thigh with bone damage. To the garrison. ”


War heroes with fairly severe wounds were demobilized only in the 1818 year. In France, at that time, tactics of preventive amputation triumphed, and soldiers with similar injuries were guaranteed to be left without fragments of arms and legs. In Russian hospitals, the disability of patients at discharge usually did not exceed 3%. It is worth remembering that military doctors had to work in an era where there was no effective anesthesia, and they did not even suspect aseptics with antiseptics.

Emperor Alexander I in his Manifesto of November 6 of November 1819 of the year noted the exceptional importance of Russian military medicine on the battlefield, thanking the doctors from contemporaries and descendants:
“The military doctors shared on the battlefield along with military ranks work and danger, setting a worthy example of diligence and art in the performance of their duties and gained fair gratitude from compatriots and respect from all our educated allies.”
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  1. -4
    12 August 2019 06: 37
    doctors at the most critical moments anesthetized soldiers with ordinary vodka, and for this purpose the officers were given opium and "sleeping potions".
    A mallet on the forehead, began to be, by this time already outdated. Mdya Progress did not stand still.
    That would be all these kings-supporters who started these senseless wars there, under bullets, under shrapnel (and even under bayonets with sabers, too), so that they would experience the then level of medicine.
    1. 0
      24 September 2019 10: 02
      Actually, the war is being unleashed, so that after its end it is better to live than before. In the Middle Ages, any king was just at the forefront.
  2. +5
    12 August 2019 07: 23
    Good historical review. To the author - respect. I look forward to continuing.
  3. +7
    12 August 2019 09: 08
    At the same time, Russian military doctors managed to accomplish unthinkable feats - mortality in hospitals was miserable for that time 7-17%
    .
    Just startling numbers for that time!
    Certificate of the highest art of Russian military doctors.

    Thanks for the interesting stuff hi
    1. +4
      12 August 2019 10: 21
      In my view, surgeons are special people, overhangs. Especially military surgeons. Even a simple cut on my finger, even on my own, even on someone else's, causes me a severe attack of pain on the surface of the skin. From the sight of blood, this terrible, burning pain rapidly spreads through the body, starting with the feet, makes you tightly squint, squeeze into a lump and hiss through teeth, drawing in air for 5-6 seconds. And the rest of the day passes in a painful condition. Because the knives in the kitchen most of the time - stupid. One has only to imprison - I am sure to cut myself. And so all my life. No addiction. What is it, I do not know. Therefore, I endow the surgeons with mystical properties. In childhood, there was a book about the great Pirogov. It is read many times, in fact, to holes. But there was an understanding that I should not be a doctor, let alone a surgeon. Each era in the history of mankind is marked by great healers. But the impression is that with the advent of firearms - only by great surgeons. Unless the 20th century gave a galaxy of microbiologists - antibiotics, vaccines. But these people can hardly be called doctors. They are inventors, researchers. And the article is very good. Thank!
  4. +3
    12 August 2019 11: 38
    So, in the battle of Borodino, the proportion of such wounded in hospitals was about 93%, of which from 78% to 84% with bullet wounds, the rest were hit by artillery.
    - some incredible proportion, especially for Borodino with intensive use of artillery. Perhaps injuries from buckshot are credited to bullet wounds.
  5. +2
    12 August 2019 11: 42
    We can also assume that the wounds from sabers, broadswords and the peak were much more deadly,
    - hardly it is. Veterans of 1812 (especially cavalrymen) with 5-6 chopped wounds were pretty much.
    Here are the notes of Ensign Zotov, for example:
    "... Officer Leontyev was the first victim of this inequality: several bayonets in the chest threw him unconscious to the ground. (He recovered later and said that it was the most unpleasant feeling when a cold trihedron climbs into the chest.)"
    "... From the first two blows on the head with broadswords, however, I did not fall, but defended myself with my innocent sword and I remember that I wounded one in the thigh, and the other poked with a point in the side ... Then I fell, and then it was blows and curses rained down on me like rain. I was wearing a frock coat, a uniform and a sweatshirt, and above all else a knapsack. All this was chopped up like shredded cabbage, and of all the blows, only two more on the head were strong, one in the hand the most insignificant , and one from the horse poked me in the back with the point of a sword. All other blows did not even pierce my clothes. "
  6. -2
    12 August 2019 16: 23
    The insane reforms initiated by the "genius reformer" Peter 1, apart from all other terrible harm that irreparably destroyed Russia, brought with them "admiration for the sciences" in the most senseless, most destructive, most dangerous form. Because under the "sciences" they began to understand exclusively what came from Europe.
    Any opinion, any experience, any discovery and tool based on local development was rejected almost from the threshold. If you are not from Paris, then the simplest, most obvious, working solution was discarded, you are local! You are Russian, what can you know and be able to use? You never know that your tool works! This is not important, because nothing is said about him in English books!
    From time immemorial, military wounds were treated in Russia with powder from the marigold flowers. Calendula is a powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and hemostatic agent. The powder just as quickly dries the edges of the wound, helps to tighten ... I have been using it for many years (however, I was distracted). But nothing is said about this method in foreign medical journals! And military doctors did not use this medicine, which was not approved by Western science.
    Thousands and thousands of people paid with their lives for contempt for the modest marigold, for "treating" burns with all sorts of rubbish instead of simple propolis ointment ... Wherever you stick, you will find traces of Peter's reforms almost everywhere, one more destructive and disgusting than the other.
    1. +2
      16 August 2019 19: 56
      And so the doctors see, crawling through the fields in the collection of calendula
      The funny thing is that in pre-Petrine times for the treatment of the royal family, where do you think doctors were prescribed from?
      1. -1
        17 August 2019 09: 46
        So it seems ... Young man, I understand that your world will never be the same, I am a little embarrassed, but you understand ... Collecting and preparing medicines is a separate profession. She was engaged in the so-called. "pharmacists". Someone collects flowers, dries them correctly, then grinds them into powder, packs the powder into bags, and suddenly, sells them to the doctor, or to the treasury.
        Which class? 5? 6? Your mother should better observe your primary education. Most likely, the use of dad's belt will not hurt.
        1. 0
          17 August 2019 17: 16
          Which class? 5? 6? Your mother should better observe your primary education. Most likely, the use of my father’s belt will not hurt

          Hahaha)) what a primitive trolling. Just at the level of your judgments about history in general and field surgery in particular
          When asked where the doctors were prescribed for the treatment of royal people in pre-Peter times, answer the spirit or knowledge is not enough? lol
          1. 0
            17 August 2019 18: 29
            To the answer, why do not you know who the pharmacist is, how he differs from the doctor, and why the doctor himself does not collect herbs, spirit or knowledge is not enough? Learn something, baby ...
            As I wrote in my text, Russian scientists did not enjoy the necessary authority, so the tsar’s doctors were usually foreigners. And our kings died early from simple sores from which even a village grandmother could cure them. I wrote about this, man. That's about it. Change 68 to 14, it will be more honest.
            1. 0
              17 August 2019 18: 55
              In general, it merged, dear man) and so much pathos, so much amplomba ... but in fact zilch, swing as it basks on a rupee, but a hit on a penny. Attempts in trolling - and those boredom and yawn yawn.
              1. 0
                17 August 2019 21: 07
                Interesting. At first, an explicit bot tried to argue with me, with characteristic tricks of the "pro" type. Now emphatically illiterate, at the same time malicious in the same standard style, only a different network role ... What is this? Has there been funding to fight the "Russian Internet threat" that includes individual countermeasures? Or just funny coincidences? Let's see how it goes next.
                1. 0
                  18 August 2019 07: 45
                  Whoa! How modest it is to call yourself a "Russian Internet threat" lol wrote a stupid commentary from a historical point of view, and already imagines himself Novikov and Radishchev in one bottle belay
                  1. 0
                    18 August 2019 10: 37
                    Yeah thanks. The analysis has gone ...
  7. +1
    12 August 2019 17: 47
    Quote: Mikhail3
    Wherever you stick, almost everywhere you will find traces of the reforms of Peter the Great, one more destructive and even worse than the other.

    That's it!
  8. +3
    12 August 2019 22: 42
    Thanks to the author, interesting and creepy at the same time.
  9. 0
    24 September 2019 10: 00
    Well, if a person walks with difficulty, and he is still sent somewhere, then, of course, the disability will be insignificant, well, and especially serious injuries are simply death.

    About wounds with edged weapons, then, of course, these are corpses in the vast majority of cases, even if they did not finish off the person immediately, then who will carry him away from under the feet of those fighting. It’s either the Second World War, when on the 1 of the killed 2-3 of the wounded, because the vast majority of the wounds are remote and the wounded are actually pulled out. And in South Ossetia, the EMNIP even before 5 wounded on 1 was killed. I suspect that mostly fragmentation wounds from shelling.
  10. 0
    26 September 2019 00: 42
    During the Great Patriotic War, our Soviet doctors returned to service 72,3% of the wounded and 90,6% of sick soldiers. If these percentages are presented in absolute numbers, the number of wounded and sick returned to service by the medical service of the Red Army for all the years of the Great Patriotic War will be about eighteen million people, which is an absolute record in the history of human wars.

    In the Wehrmacht (the army of Nazi Germany), almost half of the wounded returned to duty.

    So, that is a good result.

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