Importance Of Hygiene Of The Trenches

Introduction
Trenches were lengthy, narrow channels dug into the ground where soldiers lived and fought during world was one. Only a small portion of the army actually served in the trenches. Trenches were the front line, they have been considered to be the most dangerous place in battle. Behind them were usually supply lines, training establishments, stores and workshops. There were usually German trenches on one side and allied trenches on the other.
The conditions for soldiers were less than suitable at times, especially in the western front where it rained a lot and the trench walls would turn to mud and cave in if not for the extra support. There was extremely bad hygiene in the trenches: diseases such as trench Foot and Trench Fever

For instance, in River Somme in France the ground is chalky and easily dug, but the trench walls crumble easily after rain so they were built up with wood and sandbags or other stable materials. In Ypres, Belgium the ground is wet and muddy and the water level is very high, because of this the trenches were not dug, but rather built up using sandbags and wood. In parts of Italy they were dig into rock, which was hard to do, but more sustainable to live in. In France the trenches ran through villages and towns, industrial works, farms, fields and canals. Trenches on the waterfront had to be drained often because of all the rain. Sometimes the water was up to waste

Surface water of surrounding countries drained into the trenches, which led to extremely wet, muddy and cold conditions. As a result of living in these conditions, men developed serious disease such as Trench Foot, which often resulted in amputations. The damper conditions caused any injuries to become infected, as they did not have a suitable, clean environment to heal in. During winter soldiers suffered from frostbite and often lost fingers, while in the summers they could come easily dehydrated and suffer from heat