Why were lice such a problem in the trenches?

It wasn’t until 1918 that doctors discovered that lice transmitted Trench Fever. Lice sucked the blood of a host infected by trench fever and then spread the fever to a successive host. Trenches often flooded with rain in which frogs swam.

Why did soldiers get trench lice What caused it?

The most likely culprit, in his opinion, was the body louse. This was because the disease was especially prevalent during the winter, when mosquitoes and flies were absent from the trench environment.

Why was it difficult to get rid of lice in the trenches in ww1?

Lice were impossible to get rid of in the trenches. Lice, like the rats also carried disease which “proved to continually and heavily drain on manpower. With the stench and abundance of rotting bodies, not only did the rats and lice have a utopia, but flies also swarmed the battlefields.

What did the soldiers do about lice in ww1?

Various methods were used to remove the lice. And the uniforms they took off, they burned them – to get rid of the lice.” Where possible the army arranged for the men to have baths in huge vats of hot water while their clothes were being put through delousing machines.

How did rats and lice affect the soldiers in ww1?

Rats and lice tormented the troops by day and night. Oversized rats, bloated by the food and waste of stationary armies, helped spread disease and were a constant irritant. In 1918, doctors also identified lice as the cause of trench fever, which plagued the troops with headaches, fevers, and muscle pain.

How did trench foot affect soldiers in ww1?

Feet suffered gravely in the waterlogged trenches, as tight boots, wet conditions and cold caused swelling and pain. Prolonged exposure to damp and cold could lead to gangrene and even amputation of the feet in severe cases. Lice and infrequent changes of clothing added to unhygienic battlefield conditions.

What problems did the soldiers face in the trenches?

Trench life involved long periods of boredom mixed with brief periods of terror. The threat of death kept soldiers constantly on edge, while poor living conditions and a lack of sleep wore away at their health and stamina.

What did the army do to try and stop the soldiers getting lice?

Men in the trenches killed lice by ‘chatting’ – crushing them between finger nails – or burning them out with cigarette ends and candles.

How did soldiers deal with rats in the trenches?

Cats and terriers were kept by soldiers in the frontline trenches to help free them of disease-carrying rats. The terriers were actually very effective in killing rats.

Who cleaned up after ww1?

It was done by the soldiers themselves (engineers helped by the randoms ones – Battlefields Clearance & Salvage platoons). Due to lack of available men, the French and English employed Chinese people to help them. French gave them a 5 years contract, English a 3 years one and a better pay.

What did the army do to try and stop the soldiers getting lice Did it work?

Chatting These tiny insects infested clothing, irritated skin and caused ‘trench fever’ and typhus. Men in the trenches killed lice by ‘chatting’ – crushing them between finger nails – or burning them out with cigarette ends and candles.