Essay on Crimean War presentation

Submitted By tdclark5
Words: 779
Pages: 4

I. The Person
II. Mason Henry Grant, 22 years old, Married, White, Male

II. The Environment / Culture
1 Current Era – Crimean War Periods Fall of 1854 thru Winter 1855
2 Great Britain, (England, S.W. County of Somerset in the Quaint Village of Dunster. The village of Dunster can be seen as a country village settled in the rural county of S.W Somerset, England, because it is situated on the Bristol Channel coast.
3 Mason grew up impoverished as a child. He was the eldest boy out of 6 children and he was forced to work many hard hours in his father’s blacksmith shop to help support his family. However when he came of a certain age he fled his home to take up arms in the military, and was able to rise to become an officer in the infantry. Thus raising his economical status to what would be considered middle class today.
4 Protestant Christian
5 Before the war mason resided in his village home with his wife Ellen & there 4 children Mason Jr., Lydia, Eliza, & Thomas.

III. Health

Medical problem: Infection of the right leg large necrotic wound, broken rib, & scurvy
6 Intense throbbing pain throughout the lower leg surrounding the wound. Lethargy, Shortness of breath coupled with a tight pressure in his chest as he breathes. Bleeding gums, and severe edema throughout his lower extremities.

There were huge numbers of casualties in the Crimean War. It has been estimated that around 19,584 officers and soldiers died during time interval of 1854 -1855. Another 2,873 were permanently disfigured or disabled. Of approximately 22,000 men injured or killed in battle, only 3,754 actually physically died during active battle. The remainder of the casualties resulted from the appalling care and chaotic environment which was the British medical department during that time. The statistics for the British hospitals from 1854-1856 were truly abhorrent.
For instance 85% of admitted patience to the British hospitals suffered from scurvy. By this time period Scurvy was a well-known easily preventable disease but it occurred frequently due to the lack of supplies, and inadequate hospital environment. Mostly problems associated with the Crimean war.
Patients that were taken to Florence Nightingale’s field hospital in Scutari were significantly less likely to survive than those who were engaged in active battle. This is a dramatic statement being that two-thirds of all the soldiers involved in the Crimean battle died. Most of those admitted to Nightingale’s hospital were already dying of infected wounds, severe blood loss, exposure, or, normally, a combination of all three dire conditions due to the harsh winter of 55 and the series of failed battles the soldiers were led into.
The gross failure of these hospitals led to the promotion of Florence Nightingale to oversee the introduction of female nurses. It was sometime after the Crimean War that the military medical system underwent major reform. A new standard for nursing care was produced in the British hospital at Scutari, located in a suburb of Constantinople.
Even after all of the changes there were still many problems. Nearly 80% of soldiers admitted to these hospitals died from infections due to hospitalization born bacteria; not from their original wounds. This came from substandard sanitation practices, and lack of