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Did the First World War help or hinder medicine? (pt 2/2)

Did the First World War help or hinder medicine? (pt 2/2)
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Key Info
  • Did the First World War help or hinder medicine? (pt 2/2)
  • Duration: 04:33
  • The conflicting opinions of the impact of the First World War on medicine. The film considers the 'official' government view against the experiences of the medics on the Front Line. Through dramatisation and contemporary sources, we see the government publicise the medical improvements made because of the war, particularly for surgeons whose methods and skills developed. But doctors on the Front Line saw things quite differently: very few casualties made it to the surgical hospitals 20 miles behind lines. It is suggested that surgery moved 'backwards' from conservative surgery to amputation, but the War Office needed to keep up morale so hid these accounts.
  • Credits: Imperial War Museum
  • Subject:

    History

       Topic:

    Medicine Through Time

  • Keywords: medicine through time, First World War, world war one, great war, WWI, medicine, health, surgery, amputation, war office, morale, interpretation
Ideas for use in class
  • The class could watch the clip and then divided into two groups, with one asked to explore the official war story of medicine and the other half asked to explore the reality for medics on the Front Line. Their mission is to convince the other 'team' wrong by using compelling evidence!
Background details
  • Clip language : English
  • Aspect ratio : 4x3
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